


A Passion Beyond Labels || BTS Rapline x Reader

by Dina_soar



Category: D-CRUNCH (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Contest, F/M, Family, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Middle School, Reader-Insert, Teacher Kim Seokjin | Jin, Teamwork, bts maknae line are in middle school, bts rapline x reader, sexualize the maknae line in this story and i will beat you, x Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-01-20 17:23:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 65
Words: 359,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21285383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dina_soar/pseuds/Dina_soar
Summary: How could they ever have anything in common when they're so different?  A delinquent, a class president, and a popular boy.(A/n: I'm really struggling to make a summary that captures everything I want it to. Either way, I'm back after the long wait! Oml hope it's worth it.)
Relationships: Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Reader, Kim Namjoon | RM/Reader, Min Yoongi | Suga/Reader, bts rapline/reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 62





	1. Labeled

Ch.1

This was a fresh start. It was something new. Sort of. You still live in the same old town, in the same house, and nothing life changing happened. That could be sort of a lie too. You're going to finally be starting high school. That's pretty big news since you'll be a tenth grader at one of the best schools in your city. It was known for holding only the smartest young minds. Now you weren't a genius and the school definitely wasn't the best out there. All you had to do was study like your life depended on it, cram everything into your brain, and pass the entrance exam. It was one of the hardest things you had to do yet you were able to accomplish it.

When you got accepted, your parents were so proud of you. They believed you were a shining student with high hopes and goals. That wasn't really the case. The main reason you tried so hard to get into this school instead of the regular one most teens go to was because you were sick of your old friends. They were bad influences. They didn't care about you anyway. All they cared about was being popular which was pointless. This was the most natural way to get rid of them. Plus, you wanted to surround yourself amongst people who were actually worth your time. You're just so tired of dealing with fake people with no dreams. None of them had a passion, but it's not like you were one to talk either.

It wasn't clear what you wanted to become when you were older. The most you knew was that this school would open you up to a lot of opportunities. It was a good start. It was a goal that you accomplished so you were automatically doing more than all your old friends. You went to orientation and you couldn't recognize anyone. They were all news faces which was so exciting. The only real problem was that these people were actually smart. Compared to them, you would have to try a hundred times harder to keep up. Hopefully, you didn't make a mistake.

This was for the best anyway. You wanted to become someone in life. For now, you'll start out small as a student at Sehwang Academy. An academy for the minds of the future. Most of the students who went here were from the private middle school. You only came from the public one. You bet there were others who didn't come from the private school, but it's not like you'll be able to pick them out randomly in the crowd. Either way, you were ready to make some new friends. Maybe you'll find your passion here whatever that might be.

You set down the lint roller for the fifth time. Is your uniform clean? You bit your lip, scanning the navy-blue outfit. It looks clean. Maybe...no. You've already spent way too much time using the lint roller. Did it even actually help? There's no time to worry about your uniform! This was as good as it was going to get. Grabbing your school bag, you rushed out the door all the way to the bus stop. The bus driver was almost ready to drive off until he heard you screaming. It was the first day of school, so you didn't want to be late. The bus driver luckily waited for you and you were so grateful. Stepping onto the bus, you swiped your bus pass and took a seat.

It almost felt like a dream the entire bus ride over. An elder woman noticed your uniform right away. She complimented it and you felt a bit embarrassed. She already thought so highly of you. Luckily, the conversation was kept short. Any longer and you knew she would be disappointed. You're smart when you work for it. Other than that, you're slightly above average. Most subjects were pretty easy and only involved memorization. The only subject that was a monster to learn for the entrance exam was math. The school's math and science portion on the entrance exam had questions that wanted to immediately pluck off the weak. How you passed is still a mystery.

Though you did hear during orientation that one student this year was able to achieve a perfect score. No one has ever done that before so that was intimidating to hear. Getting off the bus, you rushed up the giant hill the school sat on top of. It wasn't until you passed the gates that slowed down your pace. Everyone around you was walking at a calm pace. They were all serious and had a certain air around them. It was hard to decide whether you wanted to fit in or not. As long as you get a true, genuine friend. The other worry on your mind was passing your classes. Letting out a light sigh, you enter the main building with a bunch of nerves.

Finding your homeroom class was a bit of a struggle. It was a lot harder than it needed to be due to the size of the campus. It was enormous compared to your tiny middle school. This place looked like it could be a palace! After getting help from school faculty, they dropped you off in the classroom you would be staying in for the entire year. This is your first year class. From the moment you stepped inside, you swallowed hard. All your peers looked much more put together than you. The teacher wasn't in the room yet so you just decided to take a random seat in the back near the door. Others in the classroom already had their old friends from middle school. Making new friends is going to be a slow start it seems.

"Did you see the teacher?" One girl to your far left giggled. Her other friends hummed in delight, almost looking dreamy.

"How is a teacher like that in our school?"

"I might actually fail math because of him!" One pouted.

They continued to go on about how attractive this new teacher was. To them, they thought things at school were finally getting interesting. A hot teacher? You only found that annoying and distracting. These girls will only turn into fools for him. He's probably not even that attractive to begin with. You crossed your arms, trying your best to ignore their conversation. They kept saying he looked like he could be an idol. An actor or a model! They were really raising your expectations, so you were preparing yourself to be disappointed. Some female students who weren't even in this class stood by the door and were peeking in. Too bad the teacher isn't in here.

That's when the doors at the front of the class slid open. Students straightened their posture right away for the adult. Somehow their entrance demanded the same response out of you. That's when you felt your heart drop. Holy sh*t. You've never seen a more handsome man in your entire life. You were incredibly thankful to be seated since your legs turned into jelly. A strange giggle left your lips when he smiled at the class. This is _the_ teacher? He stood tall in front of everyone with broad shoulders and full, plump lips. Everything about him was so charming from the way he carried himself to the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled. He had light brown hair that was neatly combed and styled. He introduced himself to the class in an angelic voice.

"Hello everyone. I'm your teacher, Mr. Kim. Class will be starting in five minutes so please get ready." He took a seat. The girls to your left were moving their seats up to be closer. They began to throw questions at Mr. Kim in interest. His ears cutely turned red to suddenly be the center of attention. You tried listening in to learn more about the gorgeous teacher. The most you got was that his first name was Seokjin.

A loud noise to your right made you jump. A bunch of boys stepped into the classroom when you saw a pencil fly in the air. It landed right next to your desk. Blinking at it, you thought this was the perfect chance to return it to its proper owner. You'll leave a good impression and maybe this might help you make a new friend. Snatching the pencil before anyone else could, you smiled to yourself and saw the owner of it coming your way. The smile on your face almost dropped. A familiar face stood there waiting for their pencil. He smiled at you before it turned into a small smirk. To be fair, you never interacted with him in your life. You only knew of him and seen him because he was extremely popular in middle school. It appears he's getting popular here too.

"Sorry, that's mine." He chuckled.

"Jung Hoseok." You read the name on the pencil. He nodded and took it before winking at you. What? A bright blush spread across your face to see him acting so boldly.

"That's my name! I bet you got this pencil just so you could talk to me." Hoseok laughed so confidently. He couldn't be more wrong. "Don't get a crush on me that easily."

"Excuse me?" You couldn't believe the things he was saying.

"I know I'm fun to be around. You don't have to tell me." Hoseok's smirk widened. His friends were laughing behind him as your face grew redder. "Maybe next time we can talk all you want without my friends here."

"As if I want to talk to you again!" You huffed. Hoseok flinched, his bright smile vanishing. His friends behind him rolled their eyes before patting his back and telling him to take a seat around them. Well d*mn, you couldn't control yourself there. You always struggled with controlling your blunt words. Anytime you had something on your mind, you would typically say it without a thought. This was no exception.

Hoseok sat near the front with his friends. He played with his pencil, spinning it in his hands. That's how it slipped in the first place. Hoseok turned in his chair to make eye contact with you. He panicked, almost dropping his pencil for the second time. He quickly caught it and stopped messing around. You're that scary? A soft sigh left your lips. You didn't mean to terrify him, but that tends to happen. With your personality, you come off forward and tough. It's not usually what guys want from a girl. Then again, you don't really care for what Hoseok wants from you. You're not interested in him. That was the first interaction you got from him and you hoped that would be the last. How did he even get into this school anyway?

It made no sense. You were hoping not to recognize anyone from your old middle school. Jung Hoseok. Just hearing his name made you scoff. Back when you guys were in middle school, he became popular by who he surrounded himself with. He's extremely talkative and some people found it charming about him. Though towards the end of middle school, a rumor broke out about him. People were saying his mom was in the hospital with a tough illness. It made you feel bad until you discovered that he was the source of the rumor. He's the one who spread it and for what? Sympathy? Some people weren't even sure if he was telling the truth at all. Hoseok waved at you once, but you barely call that an interaction. You didn't want to get to know someone who spout out lies once they had nothing real to say.

More people began to pile into the classroom. People were loud until the very last minute. Mr. Kim didn't even have to quiet the class down. Someone walked up to him with a paper. Students in the class were either staring at the student's back in awe or were glaring. Mr. Kim stood up as the bell rang. The tall student turned around, letting you finally see his face. He wasn't anyone you recognized. He took a seat in the front as class finally started. Mr. Kim began with taking attendance first. He went down the list, girls squeaking out 'here'. He smiled at the class as he went down the list. You tried to hide your smile when he called 'Cha (F/n)'. That took a surprising amount of effort.

Then the boy that people had mixed feelings on was called Kim Namjoon. That name sounded familiar for some reason. It rang a lot of bells, but you couldn't remember why. You've never met him before. It's possible you heard it at orientation and forgot. Soon Jung Hoseok was called. He was extremely happy to be called on. Namjoon glanced at Hoseok, immediately ignoring the male after taking one look. Everyone seemed to be present until Mr. Kim arrived to a certain name. He repeated it multiple times in hopes of getting a voice to respond to him. Students looked around while some were already spreading rumors. Seriously? That was annoying. You thought this school would be better about that crap.

"Min Yoongi?" Mr. Kim called one last time with a frown on his face. He raised the pencil in his hand to mark him absent when the door to his side suddenly slid open. The teacher automatically jumped, earning a few laughs from the boys. The laughter was cut short when all of you noticed a teenage boy standing next to the principal of the school. He got a special escort to his classroom? Voices were quiet as they talked about him being dangerous. This Min Yoongi had red wine hair which was already against the dress code. Despite that, his uniform and everything else was according to the rules. The principal gently pushed the boy into the classroom.

"Hello, Seokjin." Principal Yoo smiled. "Here's a student of yours who got lost."

"You're Min Yoongi?" Mr. Kim asked. He raised his voice due to the fact that Yoongi had his headphones in. Muffled music was heard and it sounded like rap. Principal Yoo sighed before Yoongi pulled out his earplugs.

"I am." Yoongi nodded his head tiredly. He walked all the way to the back of the classroom. You grew nervous as he took the seat next to you. The energy he gave off was slightly intimidating. Principal Yoo kept his eyes on Yoongi before nodding to himself. He left Mr. Kim to continue the class of the day.

Yoongi set down his bag near his chair. Though his eyelids were half closed, he was paying attention to what Mr. Kim was saying. The entire class was dead silent as Mr. Kim discussed his plans for this math class. You were doing your best to pay attention despite feeling distracted by Yoongi. Though he came off as intimidating, there was something mysterious about him too. It was at that second that Yoongi caught you staring at him. Sh*t. You looked away with a hot face. That's embarrassing. You were too busy in your own thoughts and didn't catch what Mr. Kim said. Next thing you know, a paper is being handed to you and people are pairing up.

"What?" You looked at the paper. There were some things you studied for on here. A bunch of random math problems to be done. Did this have to be partner work?

"Since the class is uneven, I'll allow one group of three." Mr. Kim took a seat behind his desk. Everyone seemed to find a partner so easily. Except for the male up front named Namjoon. He remained in his seat as if he knew he wouldn't find a partner. He simply worked on the worksheet by himself with no intention of finding someone else.

"You want to work on this together?" A tired voice broke your train of thought. You turned to see Yoongi staring at you. He cleared his throat, holding the paper up.

"Huh? O-Oh! Sure!" You scooted your desk closer to his.

The worksheet wasn't too hard. A lot of it was review from the entrance exam. Yoongi was quiet when he looked over his own paper. He started the first problem but was unsure of his answer. When you did it, you came out with the same thing. Yoongi softly nodded his head and thought it to be true. Maybe it was true. Or the two of you messed up. You never really trusted yourself when it came to math. Yoongi and you continued to work silently together. He would occasionally ask for help or to compare answers. You did the same since you were no genius.

When Yoongi and you finished, you thought that was the end of it. Perfect! Mr. Kim had other plans though. He requested that everyone switch papers with another group. Once you had their paper, you and your partner were required to correct it. Hold on, what? Yoongi sighed, handing you his paper. That meant you had to find someone to switch papers with. Who was going to do that with you? Your eyes looked over the classroom to see people already correcting with red pens. This is insane.

Your eyes soon landed on Namjoon who sat at the front of the room. He turned in his seat like a lost child. Everyone else had switched papers. At least that's what it felt like to him. Soon his eyes landed on you, his brows jumping in surprise. Here goes nothing. You awkwardly made your way over to him with the worksheet in your hands. Namjoon's eyes were a bit wide as if his surprise never left him. Was he really that shocked you came over to him?

"Can we switch?" You asked, holding the papers close to your chest.

"Er, sure." Namjoon gave you his paper. He took your papers and automatically began working on it. He uncapped his correcting pen, already making marks on the worksheets. It felt a bit embarrassing as you walked back over to Yoongi. Everyone appeared to be fast workers here. They were all on top of things. That wasn't the majority though. Besides Yoongi and you moving at a slower pace, Hoseok was getting distracted and talking to friends. Mr. Kim actually had to tell him to focus on the assigned work.

"Whose paper is this?" Yoongi questioned as you placed it on the desk.

"Namjoon's," You stated. Yoongi didn't say anything after that as the two of you reviewed the paper. Everything seemed to be in check. When looking over Namjoon's work, some of the hard math problems actually made sense. A lot of his answers made you realize how badly the two of you messed up on some. You let out a nervous chuckle. "Gosh, I'm sorry. I really suck at math."

"My brain doesn't really do math either." Yoongi grinned lightly in amusement.

He didn't look up at you as he gave Namjoon a perfect score. He capped the thin pen, slowly leaning back in his seat. Yoongi's intimidating aura was beginning to vanish to you. For some reason, he didn't seem as scary as when he came in. Yoongi felt like an ordinary teenage boy to you as he pulled out his phone. He put in his earbuds, listening to his own music again. There was nothing else to do. Yoongi put in his music and Namjoon didn't get a single problem wrong. How Namjoon did that was confusing. Sure, a majority of people here were smart, but still. Some questions were unfamiliar and unknown to you. A light tap broke your attention away from Namjoon's paper.

"Yes?" You lifted your head. Namjoon stood there with the graded papers. He placed them down as he took his own paper from Yoongi's desk.

"I graded them." Namjoon sighed. He was speaking to you, but his eyes were lingering on Yoongi. The delinquent had his eyes closed.

"You got a perfect score," You stated only to be ignored. Namjoon clicked his tongue as he pulled out one earphone from Yoongi's ear. That immediately didn't sit well with the redhead. Yoongi opened his eyes, growling at his smart classmate.

"You should focus in class. Maybe that would improve your grade," Namjoon said. He seemed unfazed by the glare he was receiving from Yoongi. Well, wasn't this awkward? You pursed your lips as the tension in the room grew.

"Listen Perfect Score, why don't you worry about yourself?" Yoongi pulled out the other earphone. For a second, you thought he was about to engage in a fist fight. Namjoon stood his ground, not caring for Yoongi's tough attitude. The tall male opened his mouth to say something else until Mr. Kim spoke.

"Everyone, turn in your papers!" Mr. Kim happily patted the front of his desk. Namjoon turned around in an instant. Yoongi sighed as he relaxed in his seat again. He didn't seem too happy to be here at this school. Why did he come here then?

You grabbed the papers Namjoon left and brought them to the front. As you did so, a blush came on your face. Mr. Kim looked so much more handsome up close. He smiled sweetly at you when you put down the papers. A part of you wanted to stay a little longer to admire his looks. Then someone pushed you to the side to put their own paper on Mr. Kim's desk. Who in the world—? You turned your head to see Hoseok. He glanced at you, shrugging with a slightly apologetic smile. It was more of an awkward one that you wanted to roll your eyes at.

"Sorry, you were in the way." Hoseok walked away from Mr. Kim's desk.

"You're ridiculous," You muttered.

So far, your first day at Sehwang has been not the best. The students already have their own cliques. Maybe all schools were the same. A lot of these students walked with their chests puffed out, their noses high in the air. They felt more fake than your old classmates. It's also extremely annoying to have the golden boy from your old school here. Today was your first time interacting with Hoseok and you already hated it. He's someone you're going to try and avoid for the rest of the year. Dropping your body in your seat with an annoyed huff, you feel eyes on you. It made you tense up almost automatically in your seat.

"Everyone here is f*cking annoying." Yoongi groaned. He covered his face with his right arm. His left arm was left dangling at his side, holding his phone. On the screen you noticed a warning message. It read that if Yoongi raised the volume any higher then he could harm his hearing. He was trying to block out the sounds of everyone else.

"It feels like we're the only normal ones here," You admitted. Yoongi smirked at that, removing his arm as he made eye contact with you.

"That's quite the compliment." Yoongi's voice was deep and slightly raspy. You couldn't help but smile at him. This class won't be so bad if you have Yoongi here. You'd rather spend time with Yoongi than everyone else. There was a possibility the two of you could become friends. As long as you play your cards right. Biting your lip, you thought about what else to say.

Mr. Kim beat you to it though. He had finished reviewing all the corrections from the worksheets. He stood up, walking in front of his desk with a large smile. Students became quiet and attentive right away. It was strange seeing so many students quickly give Mr. Kim their best manners. This would never happen in your old middle school. Being in a private school for a few hours was already giving you a culture shock. Yoongi put a pause on his music so you decided to listen to what Mr. Kim had to say too.

"Based off your scores, I was able to decide the top candidates for class president." Mr. Kim waved the papers. Namjoon's posture straightened up in his seat with interest. "I'm going off the top two scores. With a perfect score, Kim Namjoon. With only two points marked off, we have—"

"Just let Namjoon be class president." A male student crossed his arms. He must have been second place. His face looked agitated and Mr. Kim saw everyone nod. Frustrated sighs left students. Many of them scoffing and irritated by Namjoon's constant high scores.

"Oh...Namjoon." Mr. Kim turned to face the boy. "Would you like to be class president?"

"I would. Thank you." Namjoon stood up, bowing to his classmates. Yoongi scoffed right next to you. Others in the class seemed just as annoyed of Namjoon. He didn't seem that bad to you. He was incredibly smart and that's as much as you knew.

Mr. Kim continued to talk to Namjoon about his new responsibilities. After that, he went on about his plans for the entire year. He was very excited to be teaching which you found adorable. Mr. Kim then proceeded to tell dad jokes for the last couple minutes of class. He thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world. You were a bit taken back by his laughter, but it easily grew on you. It made you laugh harder than the jokes did. Yoongi looked at you like you were crazy. He already thought Mr. Kim was way too enthusiastic to teach a class of teenagers.

The bell rang after Mr. Kim finished his last joke. He happily waved at everyone who packed up their things. A bunch of girls went up to talk to Mr. Kim but had to wait. Namjoon beat them to it. Namjoon was flooding the older man with questions about his job. Clearly stuff that even Mr. Kim didn't think about. That was going to take a while. The girls huffed, muttering things like 'uptight' and 'wannabe teacher's pet' under their breaths. Just the sight of Namjoon already pissed them off for some reason. You were new to these classmates, so you didn't know what their whole deal with Namjoon was.

"Hey Yoongi...?" You wanted to ask if he went to the private middle school. Did he know about Namjoon? But when you turned to ask him, you saw Yoongi already leaving the classroom. He had his things packed up immediately.

Standing up from your seat, you went out the door to call after him. It was too late. He put in his earphones and kept walking, getting lost in the crowd. The whispers of a delinquent being at the school were starting. Eyes followed Yoongi as he disappeared to his next class. Out came Hoseok from Mr. Kim's classroom. The two of you made eye contact, but you frowned at him. He continued to walk confidently in the halls with a whole crowd of friends surrounding him. Golden boy. Whatever. You took another step to go to your own class only to bump into someone. You took a step back in surprise, looking up to see Namjoon staring down at you with a light blush.

"I'm so sorry," Namjoon blurted out right away.

"I'm sorry...it's okay." You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. He nodded, walking down the hall to follow his own schedule. The teacher's pet and class president. Soon you began to realize why his name rang a bell to you. He's the first person to ever get a perfect score on the entrance exam. He truly is a genius. You made your way to your next class, shoving your way through the crowded hall. Some people gave you dirty stares for some reason. It wasn't until someone scoffed as they called you a 'public school rat' that you realized what their cold attitude was about.

So that's your label? How fun.


	2. Bus Ride

Ch.2

It's a bit of a struggle trying to find Yoongi. You really wanted to find him this castle of a school. He was someone you could see yourself befriending. The only problem was if he wanted to become friends with you in return. He didn't appear interested in anything this school had to offer. Though you had a lot of questions about him, you threw them all out the window. You just want to get to know him first. Have someone to eat with at lunch. Have a set partner any time Mr. Kim requires partner work. There was no luck the entire time.

Lunch arrived sooner than you thought it would. Yoongi had almost completely vanished from the school. It looks like you'll have to eat alone after all. Eating by yourself isn't too bad. The only reason it kind of sucks is because you like to talk a lot. When you got your lunch, a majority of the cafeteria was filled. All the tables had been taken by students and their group of friends. The only place that didn't have people sitting there were the large windowsills on one side of the cafeteria. It had a nice view of the school's field.

As you made your way over to the windowsill, a grape flew right by your nose. It took you a second to process what just happened? Are people seriously throwing food? You looked at the ground to confirm that it was a green grape. A sigh left your lips in frustration. The only thing stopping you from getting too angry was the fact that it didn't even hit you. It barely grazed your nose. Turning your head in the direction the grape came from, you made eye contact with Jung Hoseok. He stared at you with a smile while his friends stifled back their laughter.

"Hey there. Want to sit with us?" Hoseok waved his hand.

"Sit with you?" You repeated as your eye twitched.

"Yeah. I mean, why not?" Hoseok pushed the guy next to him. "Right here."

"Not a chance." You ignored any further attempts from him.

That guy really left a bad impression on you. He thinks you might want to sit with him? You'd rather sit alone for the rest of the year. Hoseok has so far been a continuous bother. You have no idea why he got you so angry. Maybe because he came from your old school. It felt like he was just a fake popular guy. He might be smart, but smart enough to pass the entrance exam? A part of you didn't buy it. You sat down at a windowsill to eat your food. You ate at a slow pace in hopes of not having any left over time to waste by staring out the window.

Plucking a grape off from its tiny clump, you put it in your mouth to see someone else take the windowsill right next to you. They were alone as well. You peeked at them as carefully as you could. Getting caught for staring is an embarrassing mistake you've made already. It was almost impossible not to be obvious about it. The tall male ripped the straw off his juice box before poking it in. The sight made you want to giggle. Despite the serious look on his face and his height, he looked like a child as he drank his juice box. Namjoon sat in the windowsill next to you, swinging his feet back and forth.

Maybe you should talk to him. That might ruin your chances of making friends with Yoongi though. The two didn't get along from the short interaction you witnessed. Still, you didn't care too much. You wanted a friend. Namjoon pulled out a notebook from his backpack which made you pause. Is he working on something? He had a pencil in his hands as he scribbled into the notebook. All his focus was on the green notebook that he didn't even realize the juice box was empty. You didn't want to interrupt whatever he was doing so you leaned back against the window. Well, you were about to try. That's pretty good effort on your part.

Shoving another grape in your mouth, you look out the window to see a boy with wine colored hair. He was walking down by the field with his earphones in. He looked so lost in the music and you almost choked on your grape. Yoongi! Standing up from your spot, you ran out of the cafeteria to go find him. What was he doing out there? He did realize it was lunch, right? He should be eating food! Running down the long set of stairs, you pushed open the door to arrive to the same spot you had last seen Yoongi at. He was gone. He was just here a second ago. You could have sworn you had seen him right here from the cafeteria window.

He's like a ghost. A phantom walking the school campus who only appears when he pleases. Namjoon talked to him in class so it's not like you're going crazy. He isn't a part of your imagination so that's good. Yoongi, where did you run off to? It felt like you would be able to see him in the corner of your eye. There was no success unfortunately for you. The trip back up to the cafeteria was a very sad one. Another failed attempt in trying to talk to Yoongi. Hopefully he ate food then. When you came back to your windowsill, Namjoon was gone too. The timing was practically perfect.

So you ate lunch all by yourself as expected. Finding Yoongi again was a failed mission. Trying to strike up a conversation with Namjoon was stopped before you could even blink. No one else at this school bothered talking to you on their own. They all came off as snobby. There was no luck in befriending any of them. The only person actually talking to you was Hoseok, but he has only been driving you crazy. Besides, it looks like he has plenty of friends with him on his first day. He had no problem making a place for himself here.

You wanted that type of luck. The bus ride home was going to be a boring one. Right away, you knew your parents were going to ask you if you made any friends. They had a bunch of hopes now that you went to Sehwang. No friends. Yet! You want to put a lot of emphasis on yet for some kind of positivity. A little positivity wouldn't hurt. The last bell rang and the school day ended. Your first day of school had come to a close. It was...eventful. There was no lie there when you said that. Pulling out your phone, you plugged in your earphones to listen to music on the bus ride home. The bus stop was a long walk away though.

"No phones in the classroom, young man. Do you know how many complaints I received about you?" Principal Yoo's voice made you freeze. While everyone kept walking around you, something caught your eye. Principal Yoo stood at the side of the entrance with a phone in his hands. He was scolding a thin, pale boy with red wine hair.

"I was only listening to music." Yoongi tried reaching for his phone again. Your jaw dropped at that. Is he really going to fight with the Principal? Moving away from the crowd, you continued to listen in.

"No phones, Min Yoongi. You've already caused enough trouble on your first day." Principal Yoo crossed his arms.

"But I still did my work! I don't get what the big f*cking deal is!" Yoongi groaned.

"Hey, no swearing." Principal Yoo narrowed his eyes on the teenager.

"Give me back my phone!" Yoongi growled.

"You'll get your phone back at the end of the week or a parent—"

"F*ck this. Whatever." Yoongi turned around angrily.

Principal Yoo looked just as upset as Yoongi was. It was a little strange how they fought so publicly. Yoongi grit his teeth as he joined the crowd of students leaving the school. Now wasn't the right time to talk to him. He needed some space to cool off. Walking down the school's long driveway, you opened up a playlist on your phone. Something cheerful to end this school day on a happy note. You put in one earphone as you searched for a particular song. There were over a thousand songs that you had on your phone and then over ten playlists. Some were to set the mood while others had different purposes. It was just something you did for fun.

The song you pressed play on was a rap song. It started out depressing which was a bit odd for a cheerful playlist. The thing with this song was that the artist did a two-step process. The first part was recorded when they were at the bottom. The song was left until they were genuinely better which made the song come across as more passionate. It felt sincere and real. You really liked this song for that reason since no one can fake these types of emotions. The lyrics were pounding on the right feelings. No actor could ever act these emotions out. In short, this was one of your favorite songs.

"You!" A hand grabbed your shoulder. Just as you were getting sucked into your music, you were pulled out so suddenly. Whoever grabbed you freaked out when you let out a scream. You didn't mean to, but they seriously scared you. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh...Yoongi." You paused your music. Taking out the earphone, you saw him glance at the song's title. A small smile appeared on his face before he looked you in the eyes again.

"I never really got your name." Yoongi rubbed the back of his neck. He was acting a lot calmer than he was just a minute ago. You blinked at him for a few seconds before getting your act together.

"I-I'm Cha (F/n)!" You properly introduced yourself.

"I'm Min Yoongi, as you seem to know." Yoongi took a glance back down at your phone. You weren't letting it go unnoticed, so you lifted up your phone.

"Do you like this song too?" You questioned.

"More than like it actually." Yoongi nudged his head forward. The two of you began walking together and you couldn't help the smile on your face.

Yoongi was a lot more friendly than he came off when you first saw him. He was cold to others and from what you saw with the Principal, he could act scary if he wanted to. That didn't mean that was all there was to him. You were happy that Yoongi was making a conversation with you on the way to the bus stop. He really seemed to love music. Though he was fine with all genres, he was a big fan of hip-hop and rap. He loved the culture surrounding hip-hop while also loving the technique the genre of rap required. It felt like he was fanboying to you which was really cute. A gummy smile appeared on his face as he went on about it.

Despite having over a thousand songs, only a very small portion were rap songs. Maybe three songs at most. Including the one you have currently paused. Yoongi shook his head at that, telling you how you were missing out on some of the best songs. Missing out? You saw this a potential way to get closer to him. What sort of songs were you missing out on? Yoongi's eyes were twinkling at this point. He went on your phone and already had a list of songs in his head. When the two of you arrived at the bus stop, he handed it back to you with excitement on his face.

"This one is a song everyone should know," Yoongi explained. He licked his bottom lip before turning pink in the face. "I also...put my number in your phone in case you want more music suggestions. If you're into my taste though."

"That's really sweet of you. I'd love to have more songs." You giggled as the bus rolled its way in front of you. The doors hissed as they opened. "This is my ride home."

"I'm taking the bus too," Yoongi said as your eyes widened.

"Seriously?" You grinned. This ride home won't be that bad at all. Stepping onto the bus, you swiped your card and found an empty seat. Yoongi dug his hand in his pocket and put in all the change he had. You waved at him as a smirk came on his face. He walked over to you, sitting in the open seat. "Want to listen to your suggestion with me?" You held up one earbud.

"Hell yeah." Yoongi took it. The bus started to move once everyone was inside. It took a while to get to your house so you had all the time in the world to listen to music with Yoongi. He bobbed his head to the music, occasionally spouting out information about the lyrics and the vision the artist had. He was so into it. This wasn't just a song to him which you admired so much. He was passionate about this.

"Hey Yoongi..." You interrupted him. He luckily wasn't upset that you paused the music and waited for you to continue. "What stop do you get off at?" It was bit random, but you wanted to know how much time you had with him.

"I'm getting off at your stop." Yoongi shrugged.

"What do you mean? Do you live near me?" You furrowed your brows. You've never seen him before in your life. It made no sense on how he knew your stop was near his house. Yoongi chuckled as he leaned back in his seat.

"I actually live in the opposite direction near our high school," Yoongi admitted as you smacked his shoulder. "Ow! What the hell?"

"What are you doing on this bus then!?" You yelled below a whisper. The other riders ignored the two of you acting like dumb teenagers. Yoongi rubbed his shoulder as he playfully rolled his eyes at you. Your pout only made him laugh.

"I don't know what you're complaining about. We both got a friend out of this." Yoongi crossed his arms behind his head after pressing play on the music again.

"We both...? Oh!" You began to smile in joy. Adjusting yourself in your seat, you got comfortable next to Yoongi. "I guess that is really good!"

"Very good."


	3. Vague

Ch.3

Though making a friend was hard at first, you managed to do it in a single day. You're honestly quite proud of yourself. It's extreme improvement and you already feel happier being friends with Yoongi. He has no interest in being popular, going to dumb parties, and sucking up to others. Min Yoongi is as real as it gets. Being friends with Yoongi has made the first month of school pass by a lot faster. Suddenly all students at Sehwang became tolerable. As long as you have Yoongi by your side then you'll be sane. Together the two of you have music.

Right away, you learned that Yoongi loved music with a deep passion. He's been into it since the beginning of middle school. Yoongi always has new songs for you to listen to. You'll be sleeping when he floods your phone with texts. It's one in the morning but he tells you about these important songs. Shouldn't he be sleeping? At the same time, you sent him many of your playlists. The difference was that you gave it to him at regular times. You had some form of restraint compared to Yoongi who breathed music.

Most of your playlists did set the mood. But there were some that needed some explaining. There were some titled after your favorite movies. Some after a character in a book or a certain location. Based off those things, you found songs that you would attach to them. You would create your own soundtrack for a movie. A character's list of theme songs. Background music for some of your favorite places. It was just something you loved to do for fun. It's not like you did anything else. Yoongi thought that was really interesting which was a lot better than pointless. That's what your old friends thought anyway.

Yoongi would also send you random texts during his piano lessons. It was really cool that he could play an instrument. The most Yoongi said on that topic was that it was nice to read music notes. There was more to it, but Yoongi didn't say. Though you were friends with Yoongi, you would argue that you still aren't super close. He's secretive and tends to evade answering some of your questions. One of your biggest questions was why he skips lunch. He spends money going on the bus when he can buy himself a perfectly good lunch.

"Eat." You delicately slammed a small box on Yoongi's desk. He stared at it with an addled expression. His brows raised when he looked up to you.

"What is this?" He took out his earphones. The two of you were in Mr. Kim's class and there was only two minutes of class left. Mr. Kim tries to be a fun teacher. To get students to like him, he makes sure the last five minutes of class are always free. You have no problem liking him. Mr. Kim didn't have to try too hard to get the female students to like him. It was only the male students that were a bit harder to coerce.

"I made you a little lunch since you never eat lunch. I don't like that." You brought it closer to him. "You should take care of yourself."

"I do..." Yoongi stared at the box quietly. He grabbed the box, the object looking tiny in his large hands. His slender fingers opened the box to see meat with rice. A gentle smile came across his face. He then closed the lid on it again. He sighed when he looked up to see you chewing your lip nervously. "Thank you. It wasn't necessary of you to make me this."

"Well, you never eat lunch." You took your seat next to him. "Why?"

"I eat a big breakfast. I just don't feel hungry when lunch comes by." Yoongi shrugged.

"Bullsh*t." You huffed. The red head sighed through his nose. He knew you were going to keep pestering him about this. You've been doing so for the entire month.

"I just don't like the faculty here. Alright? I want to avoid any staff," Yoongi grumbled. "They're a pain in the @ss."

"...really?" This answer came across as more sincere. He just wasn't telling the full truth. You weren't going to budge any further. This was the most progress you've gotten. Getting the honest reason might take a couple more months.

"Yeah. I can barely stand the goofball up there." Yoongi glared at the teacher. Turning in your chair, you saw Mr. Kim happily humming as he graded papers. He looked almost picture perfect. You faced Yoongi again in bewilderment.

"What do you mean? Mr. Kim is nice." You frowned.

"I didn't say he wasn't. He's just...annoying." Yoongi shrugged. Again, the male continued to become mysterious to you. He could give you a vague answer of his favorite color and you'd be completely intrigued. Not to mention, hell bent on finding out the truth. Curiosity was your biggest weakness.

"Maybe you're just upset that he's really attractive." You glanced at the teacher again. The corners of your lips rose up automatically. Mr. Kim just glowed. Yoongi almost dropped his phone when he heard that leave your lips. What's his problem? You saw Yoongi stare at you in disgust. "What?"

"Don't tell me you're a part of his little fan club this school has for him?" Yoongi grimaced. "He's so old!"

"Okay, first! All I said was that he was attractive which he _is_. I'd be blind to say otherwise," You whispered through gritted teeth. "Also, he's only twenty-five!"

"The fact that you know—" Yoongi wanted to laugh.

The two of you would sometimes bicker like that. In the end, it was all in good fun. Yoongi never purposely hurts your feelings. He's a major tease though. He likes to make fun of your light crush on Mr. Kim. It's not like you're actually trying to end up with him like other girls. You only like to stare at him and talking with him is fun. Other than that, you're good. You like to treat him as if he's your favorite celebrity. You have your own fun with Yoongi too. Since he tends to come to school tired or hungry, you give him a rough time about how he can't take care of himself. Without you to give him a helping hand, he'd die. It's a joke that you worry about too.

It's not a lie when you say that Yoongi has grown to rely on you. It started with that tiny lunch. Eventually, you took it upon yourself to get him something every day. Whether that be making his own lunch, giving him a tiny snack, or sharing your lunch with him. Yoongi refused to interact with the faculty. He avoided their gaze and wanted to repel them. Was it his delinquent past? One rumor that spread was that Yoongi got into an intense fight in middle school. It made its way to Yoongi and he automatically told you that people were blowing it out of proportion. That's as much as he said about that.

You might ask Yoongi about things, but you never force it out of him. There were some things you wanted to forget from middle school as well. The whole point of you coming to Sehwang in the first place was to reinvent yourself in a sense. You're still the same person, but you wanted to start fresh. In a place where no one knew you and you could make new friends. Everything has been working out perfectly aside from the one familiar face that always manages to make your blood boil. Like now for example.

"(F/n)!" Hoseok cheered as he nudged your shoulder with his own. He had grabbed a tray then proceeded to skip in the line just to be next to you. Why did he do that? Your typical curiosity didn't bother with him. You just wanted to get your food and move on. Yoongi was waiting at the windowsill the two of you sit at. "Hey (F/n)!" Hoseok repeatedly called your name. He dragged it, sang it, anything to catch your attention.

"What is it?" You snapped.

"I don't get why you're so feisty with me." Hoseok pouted. "I'm just trying to be friends!"

"Friends?" You sighed as you placed a pack of bread on your tray. Hoseok quickly grabbed another bread to put on your tray.

"You like bread? That's nice," Hoseok said. Laughter left his friends who were nearby. Did they think he was hilarious or something? It felt tiring having to deal with Hoseok. The two of you could just not get along. You wanted him to accept that already.

"Why are you talking to me?" You looked him in the eyes. Hoseok hesitated, unprepared for your forward response.

"Oh...I just think we could really get along." Hoseok smiled. "You're really cute too and it's nice seeing an old face around here."

"Cute?" You held your tray closer to your body. Though he looked like he was speaking truthfully, you didn't trust him. His friends were always by him. They laughed at everything he said towards you. Any truth his words might hold felt fickle.

"Cute for sure." Hoseok winked as the two of you got out of the line. "We never talked before, but I want to change that."

"...I don't know, Hoseok." You shook your head. You should really be getting to Yoongi. Today you were going to share your food with him.

"Please! Come sit with me." Hoseok pleaded with big eyes.

"I have a friend waiting for me—"

"Come on. I don't bite." Hoseok wrapped his arm around you, attempting to take you over to his table. His friends weren't laughing anymore for some reason. Their brows knitted together to see Hoseok actually taking you. The walk over to his table was cut short when you felt Hoseok's hand leave your shoulders. Hoseok began to wince in pain as his friends gave dirty glares to someone behind you. Turning your body, you held your tray tighter to see Yoongi twisting Hoseok's arm. "Ah! S-Stop! Would you?"

"For someone so popular, you sure do lack basic social cues." Yoongi growled, releasing Hoseok's arm. "She doesn't want to eat with you, alright? Drop it."

"Okay...sorry." Hoseok rubbed his arm. His lips came close together as he pouted. Yoongi started moving you towards the windowsill. A tiny bit of you felt bad towards your old school mate. He looked genuinely disappointed compared to his friends.

Yoongi rolled his shoulders as you sat on the windowsill. He took the spot next to you, ignoring the few people who stared at him. There was a little more than normal since he twisted Hoseok's arm in front of everyone. Grabbing the extra bread Hoseok had given you originally, you handed it over to Yoongi. He mumbled a 'thank you' after telling you to be careful. You'll be careful. Nibbling on your own bread, you looked to your side to see Namjoon three windowsills to your left. He used to be closer until Yoongi began sitting with you. Those two treated each other like polar opposites. It'd be nice if Yoongi would let you invite Namjoon over to sit with you guys. Then again, Namjoon always looks so busy writing in that tiny journal of his. It made you wonder. What is he writing in there?

Speaking of Namjoon, it's not like only Yoongi doesn't get along with him. Namjoon is wary of Yoongi too. Everyone at school tends to avoid your friend like the plague. The only person who is brave enough so far is Namjoon. He remains calm around Yoongi, but things get passive aggressive very fast. Namjoon doesn't seem to hate you though. That was pretty good! Sucks to be Yoongi though. Then again, he didn't care how much people disliked him. You were fine as long as the entire school didn't hate you. It was mix reaction for you. Some didn't care while some believed you wandered into the wrong high school. Namjoon was one of the few who didn't mind at all.

"Here are your test scores." Namjoon quickly handed Yoongi's test back. The boy was about to fall asleep. Yoongi yawned heavily, his body sinking in his desk. Once he laid his head on his desk then you knew it was over for him. Yoongi was going to take a nap whether people liked it or not. Namjoon ignored the red head to give you a smile. He gave you your paper, his smile slowly shrinking. What's wrong? You looked at the grade and tried not to suck in your breath. It wasn't too bad. C's are technically still passing. Are they considered Sehwang passing is the real question? Namjoon tapped your shoulder to catch your attention again. "May I speak with you outside the classroom, (F/n)?"

"Sure..." You hesitantly nodded your head. Yoongi was knocked out on his desk. He won't even notice you slipping out with Namjoon. Getting out of your seat, your nervously follow Namjoon outside. It made you feel like you were in trouble. He wasn't even the teacher. Namjoon closed the door before looking at you sympathetically.

"Everything okay, (F/n)?" Namjoon asked. You stared at him in shock. You didn't expect him to ask you that. Something related to your test was what you were waiting for.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Everything is good. Why?" You asked as he rubbed his hands together. His worried gaze never left you.

"Your grades are dropping in the first month, (F/n)." There it was. "I'm worried there might be some outside influence to it. I know you can be an excellent student."

"Thank you, Namjoon." You smiled. "It was just a little hard. I promise I'll study harder for future exams."

"If you need any help, ask me. I want to help as class president." Namjoon glanced at the door. He lowered his voice. "Yoongi isn't a distraction from your studies I hope."

"Him? No, he's not a distraction at all. He's just my friend." You shook your head, waving your arms in denial. Yoongi definitely isn't the reason you failed this test. Namjoon didn't look too convinced, already having his own ideas of Yoongi's impact on your life.

"I'm worried he might be a bad influence," Namjoon divulged. He kept glancing at the door as if Yoongi would wake up from his nap at the mention of his name. "I don't want him to prevent you from passing this class."

"Namjoon." You had to stop him. This entire school had an ill image of Yoongi. They wanted to believe the rumors and distorted truth. It's what entertained people here at this school. Most people had money, the best grades, and everything Yoongi didn't. You didn't match the crowd either. The thing with Yoongi was that he could easily fall into gossip. And he let it happen. "Yoongi is my friend. I know him better than anyone else here and I assure you that he's not causing me any problems. I thank you for worrying, but it's not going in the right direction."

"You believe so?" Namjoon looked almost embarrassed. He swallowed, bowing his head. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Don't worry about it." You smiled as the bell rang. Classroom doors began to open left and right. Students were spilling out, crowding the hall with chatter. Namjoon reached his hand to open the back door of Mr. Kim's classroom but someone beat him to it. Yoongi opened the door wide, the bags under his eyes making his glare look harsher. He wasn't staring at you. His gaze automatically landed on the boy standing in front of you.

"Namjoon." Yoongi kept his voice low.

"Yoongi." Namjoon acknowledged him before excusing himself into the class again. You were about to follow until Yoongi tossed you your backpack. He closed the door behind him, expecting you to follow him in the hall.

"What did he talk to you about?" Yoongi yawned loudly.

"Nothing important." You shrugged as you caught up to him.

"He took you out of the classroom for nothing important?" Yoongi questioned.

"Did you not sleep well?" You ignored his question. Yoongi rubbed his eyes, walking faster.

"Come on. Let's get to our next class."


	4. Absent

Ch.4

Yoongi has always left you with questions. Some days he would come to school a lot more tired than others. Right when you thought the bags under his eyes were fading, they came back darker. The most you were able to get out of him was insomnia. When he said this though, it didn't feel like he was admitting anything. It felt more like he was throwing an answer at you so you would shut up. He did get what he wanted. You shut up and stopped asking for a reason. Instead, you urged him to take better care of himself. His grades were almost getting as low as yours. That's a huge problem!

The thing with math is if you don't understand one part then you won't understand the rest. Anything Mr. Kim teaches you guys gets continuously used for the rest of the year. It only gets harder and a lot more complicated. It makes you feel so lost every single time. You've been trying your hardest to get your grade up. The recent test you guys took, you got a B- which you believed was enough to save your grade. Then Mr. Kim proceeded to teach you guys another chapter. That left you back at square one. Scratching your head and clueless during the whole class.

Normally, you would ask Yoongi for help. Though the two of you would struggle together. You did better when you worked with him. You would get less problems wrong. Two brains working together always saved you an awkward interaction with Namjoon or Mr. Kim. Getting anything below a B- made the two worry. That already let you know how everyone else in your classroom was doing. If only you could get A's in math. All your other subjects were easy unlike Mr. Kim's math. He's a great teacher, but you suck at applying his lessons to the worksheets.

"Yoongi, why?" You wanted to whine like a child.

The seat next to yours which belonged to the red head was empty. Yoongi was absent today. He seemed fine yesterday. He was still texting you song recommendations last night. It stopped once it was ten which you assumed meant that he went to bed. Then Yoongi never texted you today if he was going to be missing. You only sent him a text telling him to feel better. Hopefully he's okay. He tends to ignore his health so he would show up to school even if he was dying. It must be really bad. Or it could be a doctor's appointment! It could really be anything. You don't know why your mind is leaning towards the negative stuff.

"You're allowed to work with others!" Mr. Kim clarified. "Three is the maximum amount though so choose wisely. If it gets too loud then all of you will be working independently."

This means you're going to have to work alone. Staring at your paper, you felt yourself wanting to throw your body out the window. This looked like a bunch of numbers and doodles. Mr. Kim can't actually expect this to make any sense? Does he really understand what all this crap is trying to say? Narrowing your eyes on the first problem, you sighed. No matter how you looked at the problems, they didn't get easier. It felt like you knew the first couple steps and then you lost it. Somewhere down the line is when you forgot everything Mr. Kim ever taught you. He could be making it up for all you know.

There was really no win. If you asked Mr. Kim for help—which you have—you knew it would only end with the same result. You paid more attention to his face then to what he was saying. At this point, you deserved the F and you were getting close to finally accepting defeat. Sometimes you just have to be the bigger person and fail a class. Except you can't. Failing even one class at Sehwang means you get kicked out. Three years of this type of pressure sounded like so much fun. Gripping the paper tightly, you had to let it go before you accidentally tore it in two.

"You guys already have a group?" Hoseok's hopeful voice caught your attention.

"Yeah, sorry," A friend of his responded.

"We already have the limit." The three of them looked at each other.

"Maybe next time." Another shrugged.

"Okay, next time..." Hoseok smiled at them. Though his lips moved, his voice trailed off. His eyes had trouble keeping eye contact with his friends.

Though you weren't a huge fan of Hoseok, you had to admit his friends were acting suspicious. They were whispering and their annoying laughs entered your ears. Over the past month, most of them avoided working with Hoseok. They still talked to him and hung out with him during lunch. It was only during group or partner activities that they acted like he didn't exist. It made you wonder if Hoseok was equally as bad at math as you were. The two of you came from the same middle school. The math department over there was nothing to brag about. Hoseok's shoulders sank as he turned to accidentally make eye contact with you.

"No." You looked down at your desk. He better not come up to you. If he's bad at math then you're going to be no help to him.

"Do you need help?" You heard Namjoon's voice. Glancing up, you saw Namjoon shift in his seat to stare at the popular boy. Hoseok stopped looking at you to stare at the strict rule follower.

"Er, just the first prob—"

"Sit down," Namjoon ordered.

"Okay!" Hoseok quit protesting. He brought his desk over to Namjoon's with a helpless expression. Others in the class chuckled while you felt just as nervous as Hoseok. The golden boy fidgeted in his seat. It's like he couldn't sit still. Then Namjoon turned his head to look you in the eyes. It's like he knew you were struggling to exist in this math class.

"(F/n), are you in a group?" Namjoon asked. Hoseok stopped panicking and began to smile.

"You should join us!" Hoseok excitedly tapped his desk.

"I'm good, thanks." You shook your head from all the way at the back of the room.

Hoseok pouted right away. He mumbled something short to Namjoon. The class president didn't really seem to care for what he said. He used his mechanical pencil to start pointing stuff out on Hoseok's paper. Again, Hoseok started to shift around his seat. He did that every single day. It was impossible for him to sit still. The only reason you knew that was because he had the loudest chair in the world. Any movement he did caused the chair to creak like an old abandoned house. Namjoon on the other hand seemed to excel in class. He always got perfect grades which you wish you could relate to. It was something you found admirable, but others in class were competitive. They hated him for it. They saw his intelligence as a fault of their own.

You tried listening in to what Namjoon was telling Hoseok. Maybe that would help you get past the first problem. The first four were on the same topic. You followed along as best as you could and got the problem done. It was actually done. It made sense when Namjoon went through it with Hoseok! You cheered internally for too long. Namjoon was already on something else when you attempted to listen in again. Voices in the classroom got slightly louder. Just as you thought you were going somewhere, you lost it all.

Whatever. At least you have the first problem down. Going on the second one, you furrowed your brows. They were the same thing yet...completely different. The numbers being different wasn't throwing you off. This one required extra attention. Do you use pascal's triangle for this one? Of course! It's just that once you use it, what else do you do? There was a lot going on. You stared at the paper intently and screamed inside again. Yoongi just had to be gone today, didn't he? He couldn't have chosen a more perfect day to miss.

That's it. You're not getting anywhere with this. Rereading the instructions multiple times and looking at the numbers only left you more confused. The information left your brain before you had time to process it. It all just sounded like a bunch of words jumbled up together. Standing up from your desk, you quietly walked over to Namjoon. Hoseok was scribbling on his paper as Namjoon watched him silently. Thank goodness you weren't interrupting anything. Tapping Namjoon's shoulder, he looked over to you in slight shock.

"Hey Namjoon...I just need help with this one." You pointed to your paper. Hoseok recognized your voice right away. He glanced up, but kept his mouth shut. Instead of saying anything, he wrote harder on his paper.

"You remember the formula, right?" Namjoon asked as you stayed silent. He quickly grabbed your paper to write it at the top. "N is repeated trials and you're trying to find the possible outcomes. This is probability after all. P is the probability of success—"

He explained the formula to you entirely. He sounded like the person who discovered it. Though you were sweating, you managed to understand. Luckily, Namjoon wrote down a lot of helpful hints on your paper. He wrote down the meaning of Q which is the probability of failure, then n! being a factorial, and a bunch of other crap that made you want to cry. You totally had this in the end! Thanking him, you rushed back to your desk. Time to get started on literally the second problem of this worksheet! And before you knew it, you finished four with the helpful notes Namjoon left you.

It was off to the next couple and slowly your confidence began to fade. What the hell is all this sh*t? Mr. Kim taught this to you guys before. He did go through it carefully too. You weren't distracted by his charming looks though. You actually daydreamed when he did the notes for this. The only reason you remember was because he picked on you to answer an example question. You did not get that question right. Now you regret dreaming about being a magical girl. Not only were you failing your class, but you also couldn't transform into anything and save the world. This sucks.

"No, you can do this." You encouraged yourself.

This wasn't the time to feel down! You'll rise up when things get tough. Maybe you'll do a different problem. Skipping through the worksheet, you found one that you understood. Perfect! See, it's not so bad. That's what you thought at first. It wasn't until you were in the middle of answering it that you realized something was off. What exactly was off about the answer you were writing down, that you didn't know. You just had a feeling that you were going to get this thing wrong. With that feeling alone, you got up and walked over to Namjoon for help.

"Hey...sorry to bother you again." You handed him your paper.

"It's no problem." Namjoon smiled. "What do you need help with?"

All of it.

"Just this one." You poked at the fifth problem. You might as well go back to doing this thing in order. It was embarrassing though. A lot of time had passed since you had last asked Namjoon for help. He must be wondering how dumb you were to not have gotten farther. Hoseok stared at the problem Namjoon was helping you with. He bit his bottom lip and reluctantly returned to his work. What does he want? You wanted to scoff, but he was halfway done unlike you.

"Did you get that?" Namjoon asked. Sh*t. You looked at him, blinking as your face grew hot.

"Can you repeat that?"

"Of course." Namjoon tapped his mechanical pencil down the paper. He made tiny marks as he described what the problem wanted in simple words. "So question B is just a continuation of A. Given that n=19, find the set values of _p_ for which _X_ has a unique mode of 13. Do you need help with this one too?"

Yes, your brain erases everything once you enter math class.

"I think I'm going to try this one myself." You smiled at him.

"Tell me if you need any more help. I don't mind." Namjoon grinned at you, his dimples showing. He treated you so warmly. It made you feel better that he was kind to you. You felt like you were wasting his time, but when you stole a look at his own paper...he was done. Hoseok wasn't even done.

Dragging your feet back to your desk, you wrote random crap and sighed. It has finally come to this. You're clueless in math class. Now that you have reached this point, your grade in this class will continue to fall. There's no other ending. The only reason you passed this school's entrance exam was due to the extreme studying and tutoring. It was mainly the tutoring that helped, but your parents couldn't really afford to send you to another tutor again. One month in Sehwang Academy and you're starting to fail. Getting up from your seat, you walked back to Namjoon. You didn't want to sound as hopeless as you were.

"Namjoon...I'm sorry." You did your best not to frown.

"Do you need help?" Namjoon only smiled. Your silence answered his question and he urged you to take a seat right next to him. Hoseok finally lifted his head from his paper, staring at you.

"What?" You sounded ruder than you intended.

"Why don't you ask me for help too? I'm smart." Hoseok crossed his arms.

"You do struggle with word problems and when there are too many steps. You get distracted very easily," Namjoon stated without blinking an eye. You brought your hand up to your mouth, holding back giggles. The face Hoseok made was priceless. He looked so offended.

"D-Do not! I just...I know what I'm doing! I'm passing the class just fine. I appreciate being partners with you and—"

"—And you tend to talk a lot," Namjoon added. He didn't even look at Hoseok as he said this. Namjoon only tapped Hoseok's paper, his expression unchanging. "Please focus. You have a few more problems to do. Let me help (F/n) who needs it."

"...fine." Hoseok's face was red.

Hoseok didn't say anything after that. Well, that was a lie. Namjoon was able to help you speed through the entire worksheet. The feeling of wanting to cry out of frustration vanished. It felt so refreshing to actually understand what you were doing. It made you want to hug Namjoon out of pure joy. You're definitely going to pass this next test with this worksheet as review. Eventually, you caught up to where Hoseok was since Namjoon was right. He got distracted very easily.

"Doesn't it go like this?" Hoseok lifted his paper.

"Wrong formula." Namjoon shook his head. Hoseok's eyes widened, turning the paper over. He reread the problem again and swore under his breath.

One thing you noticed was the difference in how Namjoon treated you versus Hoseok. He gave Hoseok very little hints. Namjoon could almost come across as rude to Hoseok. Most of his methods in teaching the golden boy were kept short and trying to let Hoseok figure it out himself. Then when Namjoon turned to you, he gave you all of his focus. He was patient and explained things to you as if you missed the lesson which you might as well have. Hoseok soon picked up on the differences as the class started coming towards an end. His eyes switched between Namjoon and you multiple times.

"If you need any further help, you can always ask me." Namjoon wrote down numbers at the edge of his spiral notebook. He ripped the paper off and handed it to you. "This is my number if you need it."

"Really?" You took it. "Thank you so much, Namjoon!"

"Whoa, hey!" Hoseok waved his hands around. He frowned deeply at the exchange between the two of you. The blood in your cheeks began to show with the way he was glaring at Namjoon. Did he think the two of you were acting too friendly with each other? "I deserve your number too."

"What?" Namjoon's brows jumped.

"Come on. Hand it over." Hoseok persisted. "What if I need help too, Mr. President?"

"...I suppose you're right." Namjoon wrote it down. He didn't seem too enthusiastic about giving Hoseok his number though. Hoseok took it, happily taking out his phone. He added the number and took a picture of Namjoon.

"Smile!" Hoseok grinned.

"Smile?" Namjoon stared at the phone in confusion. Unfortunately, Hoseok left flash on. Namjoon closed his eyes tightly, trying not to be upset. "Oh...that's what you meant."

"Great photo!" Hoseok laughed, his eyes moving over to you. "Can I get your number, (F/n)?"

Right when he said that, the bell rang in your favor. "Oh well, will you look at that? Gotta go!" You grabbed your things and hurried out. That was a close one.

It was a miracle that Hoseok didn't track you down for your number. He has already shown himself to be very persistent. Thankfully, he was sitting with his friends during lunch. He didn't pay any attention to you. As you sat on your windowsill, you didn't feel right when you watched Hoseok interact with his friends. They didn't feel real to you. It wasn't just the annoying laughter. All of them rubbed you the wrong way. If you're right then Hoseok will figure it out soon like you did yourself. Sometimes you just have to get new friends.

The sad thing with you was that your only new friend was absent. Yoongi still hasn't responded to your worried text. You hope it's nothing too awful. Lifting up your carton of milk, you took a sip while looking to your left. Namjoon was sitting in the windowsill right next to you. He hasn't done that in a while. Not since Yoongi started sitting with you every day. You stopped drinking your milk to watch Namjoon pause. He tapped his pen on the green spiral notebook, mouthing words repeatedly. A month of being at Sehwang has passed, but you're still clueless as to what Namjoon is writing in there. It doesn't feel like homework and he wouldn't be so intense if it were his diary.

Maybe today is the day you finally talk to him. Setting down your milk, you got prepared to leave the safety of your windowsill. Sadly, your plans were ruined the second your phone decided to ring. The timing was way too perfect. Pulling your phone out of your bag, you sigh heavily at the caller ID. Even from wherever Yoongi is, he prevents you from talking to Namjoon. But at least he bothered to call you at all. Picking up, you brought the phone closer to your ear.

"Yoongi?" You waited for his voice. The second you said his name, you noticed Namjoon stiffen up. He stopped writing completely. What's wrong? He started packing his things up right away.

"(F/n)! Hey, I'm talking to you!" Yoongi's voice shouted. He sounded so tired.

"Oh, sorry." You returned your focus back to your friend. "Are you okay? You sound like you're having a rough time."

"Basically...I'm just so f*cking exhausted." Yoongi groaned. He sniffled, staying silent for a couple seconds. "There was no way I'd survive a day of school in my state."

"Are you sick?" You leaned against the window.

"No. I was just deprived of sleep so I decided not to push it," Yoongi admitted.

"What? And your parents were cool with letting you stay home?"

"It took some convincing..."

"Well, are you going to be back tomorrow?" You grabbed your carton of milk again.

"Yes, I'll be back to suffer another one of Mr. Kim's classes with you." Yoongi chuckled, his voice still sounding lethargic. You shook your head at his words.

"See you tomorrow. Rest up, Yoongi."

"Will do."


	5. Yawns

Ch.5

Yoongi was looking better today. He still yawned a ton. That made you wonder if he really got all the sleep he needed. He came into Mr. Kim's class looking pale, but healthy. Yoongi had to talk to Mr. Kim before class started. He wanted to know what he missed yesterday. You tried telling him, but Yoongi only got more lost. He was also extremely confused on how you understood the lesson. Usually, you're on the verge of a breakdown every class. You got lucky yesterday and that's all Yoongi needs to know. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.

Mr. Kim happily spoke to Yoongi until Namjoon went up to them. From the back of the room, you tried not to freak out. Was a fight about to go down? Yoongi held back a scowl and Namjoon stared at Yoongi coldly. This was so intense. The class president handed Yoongi the notes he missed, the worksheet, and other things. Though the two clearly didn't like each other, Namjoon was doing his job well. Yoongi couldn't hate him for being helpful. Mr. Kim then ushered both boys to their desks as class would be starting soon. Yoongi held the papers tightly, walking over to his desk next to yours.

"Can you believe him?" Yoongi scoffed. "The audacity..."

"How dare Namjoon takes notes for you and try to help you get caught up with class work?" You crossed your arms. Yoongi immediately glared at you for that comment.

"Barely helped. I mean, the notes sort of help but...I practically have to teach it to myself." Yoongi dropped it on his desk. He groaned, running a hand through his red wine hair.

"It was still thoughtful of Namjoon." You shrugged.

"He's only doing this 'cause he's the president. It's not like he's doing this out of the kindness of his heart." Yoongi looked over at Namjoon. He was sitting in his desk, slowly waving back to Hoseok who excitedly waved at him. "He's too smart. When people are too smart, they become cold."

"You really think that?" You frowned.

"I do. I don't trust Kim Namjoon..." Yoongi sighed. "There's just something about him that I don't trust."

"You and him are like polar opposites." You rested your head on your desk.

"We are. He's class president. Little teacher's pet." Yoongi's voice grew dark. "And I'm nothing but trouble. Delinquent. Kim Namjoon and I will never get along in any universe."

"If you say so..." You dragged your finger along your desk in boredom. Yoongi kicked up his legs on his desk to prepare for his daily nap.

Mr. Kim stood up, clapping his hands as the bell rang. Everyone straightened their posture in their seat. Most students anyway. Yoongi and you never did. Then Hoseok could never sit still. He always tapped his foot, moving around any way he could. One girl whispered at him to stop. Mr. Kim wanted to go over the worksheet you guys did yesterday. Everyone pulled the paper out while Yoongi looked at his things in confusion. He eventually found the worksheet in the papers Namjoon gave him. Yoongi raised a brow at you to confirm if it was the one. He gave you a gummy smile when you nodded. As you pulled out a correcting pen, you caught him yawning.

Again?

"You're yawning...did you really sleep last night?" You whispered. Mr. Kim had gone up to the whiteboard, going over the first problem. Yoongi definitely heard you. No one else in the room was talking. He's hiding something for sure. "Min Yoongi."

"I slept, now shush. I'm learning." Yoongi pressed his red pen to his lips to make you quiet. You didn't really buy it.

Yoongi followed along with Mr. Kim's corrections for the entire period. Though he was clearly confused at some parts, he didn't ask you anything. You made small attempts to get him to talk to you. No matter how much you whispered or tried to kick his leg, he wasn't budging. Mainly because he knew you were still stuck on him not sleeping well. You knew for a fact that he didn't. Yoongi tried making his yawns quiet. His head would fall down, waking him up immediately. Then there were times Yoongi would close his eyes for a minute before jumping awake. His lack of sleep wasn't healthy and it was really starting to worry you.

Secretly pulling out your phone from your bag, you started typing away. Yoongi ignored his phone buzzing in his pocket. There was another buzz that caught the attention of a few people around you guys. They scoffed but went on with doing their work. Yoongi sighed, taking his phone out to see the messages you left him. You made sure to message him an article about how the lack of sleep is bad for him. He rolled his eyes automatically at your texts. Biting your lip, you hoped he would respond. Instead Yoongi turned off his phone without a care. He waved it in front of you with a teasing smile before shoving it into his bag.

You tried. You really did try, but you weren't going to get anywhere so you dropped it. Returning your focus to Mr. Kim, you listened to him for the rest of the class. He reviewed every single problem on the worksheet and stated which ones would be appearing on the test. He wanted to make sure everyone knew so there would be no surprises. Out of all the teachers you've ever had, Mr. Kim is your favorite. He's very kind and actually wants to help students. You're lucky to have him since the other math teachers here tends to brag about how many students they've failed. Just the thought of having them made you sweat.

Soon class came to an end. Yoongi was just happy that you stopped asking him questions about his sleeping habits. He waited for you to finish packing your things. Together, the two of you walked to your next class. It wasn't long until lunch came by which you were so thankful for. You were beginning to starve in your last class. Yoongi was already at the windowsill by the time you showed up with your lunch. Today you brought Yoongi a bag of chips for him to munch on. He mumbled thanks as he took it. He slowly opened it, eating as you got comfortable in your spot next to him.

"Tell me if you want more food," You said.

"This is good." Yoongi shrugged. As eat he chewed on his chips, he noticed a certain someone coming over. That automatically didn't put him in a happy mood. He groaned and nudged you to check. "Look at the idiot who is coming by."

"Who?" You furrowed your brows. That's when you saw Hoseok clutching onto his phone as he shuffled over to you. He glanced at Namjoon who was far from the three of you. Hoseok then stopped in front of you, motioning for you to come up to talk to him. "Excuse me?"

"Get up. I need to talk to you..." Hoseok nervously looked over at Yoongi. The slender male instantly glared back, making the golden boy shiver.

"What do you need to talk about?" You began to stand up.

"No. You're staying here." Yoongi pulled you down. "Get lost."

"This doesn't involve you." Hoseok huffed.

Though you would rather not engage in a conversation with Hoseok, it didn't hurt to see what he wanted. You knew he could be stubborn. This was just getting the conversation over with. Yoongi didn't really see it that way. He continued to glare at Hoseok in discontent. All he could do was watch Hoseok pull you a couple feet away from him for privacy. Hoseok let go of your wrist to adjust his orange beanie. He smiled at you nervously as you waited to see what all the big fuss was about. He felt around his pants as if he forgot which pocket he put his phone in. His face was pink by the time he pulled it out to show you.

"I'm not giving you my number," You stated flatly. He pouted, shaking his head.

"This isn't about that. It's about Namjoon." Hoseok frowned, pointing the male who pressed himself against the window frame. Namjoon wrote nonstop into that mysterious little green journal. It was as if there was nothing, but him and that book in his world.

"What about Namjoon?" You raised a brow. It made you curious if he knew something about the class president. He was almost as mysterious as Yoongi.

"Look for yourself." Hoseok handed you his phone. When you held his phone, you stared at the screen in confusion. What were you supposed to be looking at? It looked like Hoseok had sent Namjoon thousands of texts. Namjoon only responded with short sentences or single words on the occasion. For the most part, Namjoon left Hoseok talking to himself. "He doesn't respond to any of my texts!"

"Oh...I'm sorry?" You didn't know what to say. Hoseok grabbed his phone back, scrolling up to show you more 'upsetting' things. Apparently Hoseok had also sent pictures to Namjoon. Most of them were secret photos Hoseok took of Namjoon during class. Not only that, but Hoseok would put a strange filter. One picture was of Namjoon with his face swirled and another one made his face stretch out. There were a ton of pictures Hoseok took and it had only been one day. You felt bad Namjoon was getting spammed like this. The only response Namjoon had towards the photos was 'no phones in class' and that was it. Hoseok sighed heavily, frustrated that his sense of humor wasn't reaching the president. Of course it wasn't! "I think you should leave Namjoon alone."

"What?" Hoseok lowered his phone, automatically sounding hurt. "But I'm just...I just want to be friends..."

"You're...coming off too strong." You rubbed the back of your neck. "Look Hoseok, I don't think Namjoon is the type of person to enjoy this much interaction. I also don't think he finds those photos funny."

"What do you mean?" Hoseok made you feel like you were talking to a toddler. It was so obvious. You wouldn't even appreciate a stranger taking dumb photos of you while you weren't looking. Then getting constantly sent every single one of them. The idea sounded maddening!

"Because, Hoseok! These silly photos aren't Namjoon's humor. He just isn't that type of person." You pointed out, but Hoseok remained unconvinced. He pursed his lips as he stared at you intently. His eyes glanced over to Namjoon and he shook his head. He was going to be persistent no matter what. There was no point of him even talking to you if he was going to be this way. It felt like a total waste of your time. Yoongi was probably getting impatient from how long this was talking.

"How do you know?" Hoseok held his phone tightly. Before you could question, Hoseok continued, "How do you know this isn't Namjoon's humor? Did he tell you?"

"No...he never told me, but—"

"Then I don't get why you're telling me he doesn't find it funny. You never know!" Hoseok crushed his phone in his fist. He shoved the blue cased phone into his back pocket. "Namjoon might be class president and serious, but he doesn't have to be that all the time. I feel like he's a lot more complicated than that."

"...well, I don't know why you're talking to me then if you already know what you're doing." You took a step back.

"Because I want to be friends with you too, (F/n)." Hoseok's lips continued to tug down. His mouth turning into an upside down 'v'. "With Yoongi too."

"Hoseok...maybe another time." You avoided making eye contact with him. His eyes made you feel like you were committing a crime. Hoseok tugged his orange beanie lower on his head, covering most of his hair. He watched you quietly make your way back to Yoongi.

The air felt a bit tense and Yoongi could sense that. He patted the spot next to him, silently waiting for you to tell him what just happened. A lot. Right away, you let out a heavy sigh that you had been holding in. Hoseok already walked over to Namjoon on his own. For some reason that boy wasn't with his old friends. Maybe he realized they were garbage. Namjoon quickly closed the green book, shoving it into his red backpack. The two began talking and Hoseok sat with him. Namjoon wasn't alone anymore. Groaning, you looked over at Yoongi with an annoyed expression.

"How dense was he this time?" Yoongi teased.

"He's just frustrating to deal with." You rolled your eyes.

"And look who he's with now. Two annoying b*stards together. What a match!" Yoongi laughed as you smacked his shoulder. His laughter died down, eventually cocking up a brow at you. "What? Was that too mean?"

"Namjoon isn't that awful," You grumbled.

"Says you. What? You like him or something?" Yoongi crossed his arms.

"I mean, it wouldn't hurt to befriend him. He usually sits alone so I was thinking of inviting him over here to sit—"

"Hell no."

"You really don't like him?" You asked as he nodded. Yoongi was confident in his answer. He wasn't taking it back, looking over to scoff at the two. Hoseok had taken off that neon colored beanie, growing excited in whatever he was talking to Namjoon about. While Namjoon was acting calmer, he still chuckled due to Hoseok expressing himself through his body.

"I don't really make friends easily. Especially with people like them." Yoongi shook his head. "Little 'I have a three thousand sticks up my @ss' and Mr. 'I need everyone's love and attention or else I'll die'...f*ck them."

"...what am I?" You tilted your head.

"Hm." Yoongi pretended to put some thought in this. He already knew the answer though. He faced you with a gummy smile, ruffling your hair. "Cool."

"You too!" You giggled, pulling his hand away. Yoongi's smile stayed on his face until he turned his head to yawn. The bright mood slowly left now that your mind was on it again. Yoongi knew you were going to ask the second he let it out. As soon as you opened your mouth to speak, Yoongi looked over at you with a light glare.

"Don't." He warned.

Okay then. Yoongi stood up from the windowsill as the ten-minute bell rang. You automatically began to stuff your face with food. He threatened to leave you alone, but you were hurrying! You promise you were! It was a tad hard to tell him that with stuffed cheeks to be fair. Yoongi laughed as you stuffed a muffin in your mouth and proceeded to down a little carton of milk. Tossing your napkin in the trash, you rushed to Yoongi's side as he walked off. He could be such a bully at times. Either way, you followed him all the way to his next class.

As punishment for making you rush your lunch, you pestered him about his sleep schedule after school. Yoongi began to regret picking you up from your last class of the day. He attempted to make a run for it but failed. You easily caught him and dragged him to the bus stop with you. He barely tried to fight you at that point. You had your arm around Yoongi's, flinging it around as he glared at everyone else. Others were terrified and made walking to the bus stop less crowded.

"I want answers, Min Yoongi!"

"Maybe stop trying to break my arm first?" Yoongi suggested.

"And then will you tell me the truth?" You questioned, the two of you stopping at the bus sign.

"No."

"I'm assuming you're doing some shady @ss sh*t then!" You whined.

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely doing some illegal sh*t." Yoongi laughed.

"I'm gonna tell Principal Yoo then—" You witnessed Yoongi's expression change. The red head ripped his arm away from yours as his face grew pale. He shook his head and grabbed onto your shoulders.

"Don't you f*cking dare." Yoongi hissed.

"...I won't." Your voice below a whisper. Yoongi hung his head down, swallowing hard as the bus rolled up.

"Go in." Yoongi turned you around. He patted your back as you hopped inside. This time, he didn't follow you inside. It made you feel like you had really crossed the line with that threat. You didn't mean it. You walked to the back of the bus, poking your head out of the window to look at him. Yoongi walked up to you with a faint smile. "I'll tell you the truth, (F/n). But I have to show you it..."

"Okay. Show me." Your heart picked up the pace. This was beginning to feel exciting.

"Alright then. I'll pick you up at midnight." Yoongi winked as the bus doors hissed. The bus's motor began to rumble, slowly leaving the stop.

"Wait. Midnight?" Your eyes widened. Yoongi waved at you so casually. Sticking your head further out the window, you watched him get farther away from you. "Min Yoongi!!"


	6. Midnight

Ch.6

Midnight? That was bothering the hell out of you. He was going to pick you up at midnight? That meant he was going to have to sneak you out. There's no way your parents would let you leave the house at that time. There's just no way. It made you so nervous that you could barely eat dinner. It got your Mom to worry, but you told her you weren't feeling too hungry. They were oblivious as to what was making you so nervous. Yoongi wanted your address so you texted it to him. Were you really doing this? You had no idea what Yoongi could be getting you into.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mom raised her brows. She held her glass of wine close to her lips but wasn't taking a sip. She eyed you carefully which managed to make you tense up. Mom always seemed to know everything. She magically knew what you were thinking all the time or at least had a good feeling of what it could be.

"Er, yeah. I ate something during lunch and it just spoiled my hunger..." You shrugged. You had your phone in your lap, opened to a chat with Yoongi. As secretly as you could, you tried slipping it into your pocket under the table.

"That's no good. For a school like that, you'd think they'd have good food." Dad sighed.

"Cha (F/n)." Mom set down her glass of wine. Oh no. You're in trouble. You're so dead! "Who have you been texting?"

"W-What?" Your words fumbled out. Already, you felt like an idiot. Now you definitely look guilty. It was so obvious!

"Is it a boy?" Mom leaned in, growing intrigued. The second 'boy' left her mouth, Dad began choking on his food. This always happens and you wish it would stop. Mom wants you to date, but Dad always had the same reaction that you dreaded dealing with every time.

"B-Boy?" Dad whimpered. Mom rolled her eyes while you witnessed your father have his own monologue that he always has with himself. "Is it that time already? I guess now that you're in high school that getting a boyfriend becomes normal. A-And it's not like I can tell you to focus on your grades when you go to such a prestigious academy. Ugh...my princess is going to get charmed by some prince. He's going to take you away from me and you won't need your Appa anymore. You'll just need your handsome prince and that's it. But I guess that's how life goes!" Appa covered his mouth, trying to swallow the lump his throat. He got so emotional early on. You were expecting it to be longer this time.

"I was only teasing, Jagiya." Mom hugged him. Dad was close to crying as he told his wife that her joke wasn't funny.

"Appa...really, I'm not texting a boy. I don't have any male friends I'm close to enough to text," You lied straight through your teeth. And thus, you dug yourself a hole. Mom pouted at that news. She really wanted you to be open to dating. Mainly because she used to be back when she was younger and was really popular with the boys. Then she latched onto the prude and married him. That's how you were born.

"O-Oh! See, Noona! She's still young and needs me." Dad put his hands on his chest. He looked so happy and you didn't have the heart to take back what you said. His bubbly attitude even had Mom melting.

"I see that." Mom kissed his cheek.

"Um, can I go to my room?" You stood up.

"Sure, Sweetie." Mom nodded. You cleaned up the plate yourself and ran up to your room. Mom was beginning to kiss Dad nonstop, flustering him and you didn't want to stay down there any longer. Closing the door behind you, you sighed to be in the safety of your room.

All you had to do first was waste time until it was midnight. There was also a test tomorrow at school which you needed to study for. You made a couple attempts to study for it, but the whole midnight thing was throwing you off. It was almost impossible to focus. The only thing left to do was to sleep until it was time. Waiting for Yoongi felt like torture. Sleeping was the only way to make things go faster. It was so hard to fall asleep though. You tossed and turned in your bed for an hour before you finally played some music. That got your nerves to calm down. Your eyes began to grow heavy and you knocked out.

Then it was time. Your phone began to ring, making you jump awake. You answered it right away so your parents wouldn't hear it. Nervously fidgeting in your bed, you heard Yoongi humming softly into the phone. He wasn't saying anything for the longest time. Getting out of your bed, you put on a large and warm coat. It was going to be freezing outside. That's when you heard something tap against your window. Was he throwing rocks? The window better not break. You rushed over to it, feeling all over the place.

A gasp involuntarily left your lips to see Yoongi on the other side of the window. He had climbed the pipeline to get on the roof. Now he was at your window, waving and waiting for you to get out with him. Opening the window as quietly as you could, you quickly pulled Yoongi in before he could protest. Yoongi was incredibly confused by your actions. The bewilderment only grew when you shoved him onto your bed. He fell back in shock before propping himself up with his elbows.

"Do...do you have a change in plans?" Yoongi's ears started to turn pink.

"What? No! I'm freaking out and I want answers!" You whisper yelled. You fell down on the bed next to him. He nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"Well listen. I promise you'll be fine and it's nothing dangerous," Yoongi assured you. He stood up from your bed and went near the window again. "You just have to be there in the moment to understand."

"Okay...I guess I'm ready than I'll ever be." You let him climb out the window first.

Sneaking out of your house at midnight was something you never intended to do in your life. It was always something your old friends did. Of course, they did it to go have sex with their boyfriends or go to parties. You always told yourself you would never do such a thing. Now look at you. Though you doubt you're going to a party and you're definitely not doing anything scandalous. That's not the type of person you are and you doubt Yoongi would willingly bring you to something he knew would make you uncomfortable.

It's kind of nice that he trusts you. He actually trusts you to take you to his secret place. Not to mention, Yoongi believes you'll like it. Hopefully he's right. Yoongi handed you a helmet when the two of you arrived to his motorbike. He has a ride? Cool! You excitedly put the helmet on and sat behind him. Yoongi chuckled when you squealed. You didn't expect him to start driving off so quickly. With your arms around his waist, you held onto him tighter. You didn't pay too much attention on where he was taking you. All you knew was that you would be fine. You were in safe hands.

Yoongi had been driving for some time. The streets were only dimly lit by lampposts. It wasn't long before Yoongi was driving in the plain dark. You shoved your face into his jacket the second he turned into a narrow street. He was going so fast in the dark. The roads were getting smaller and it wasn't long before he kept going through a bunch of alleyways. Where was he taking you? Yoongi finally started to slow down as the two of you arrived at the destination. Though the both of you were at the back of the building, there was a neon bright sign. The words were glowing 'Midnight Measure' in green.

"This is it." Yoongi kicked up the bike stand. He swung his leg over, taking off his helmet. Was this really it? You looked around the dark area, still clueless as to what he had brought you too. "You coming?"

"Yeah." You took off the helmet. Biting your bottom lip, you watched Yoongi take a step down the stairs. There was a sign pointing towards some underground hide out. Yoongi held his hand out to you, noting how scared you were feeling.

"Trust me." Yoongi stretched his hand out. "It's safe."

The sign began to glow a bright blue. You took Yoongi's hand, holding it tightly as he led you down the stone steps. He knocked on the door and it was opened by a really tall man dressed in all black. There was music already playing inside. People were shouting and you could hear someone MCing on a microphone. Things were already started inside here. The cold began to leave your body as Yoongi led you into the main room where the lights were. There was a large crowd surrounding a stage where three people stood. The one in the center was the main one speaking while the two were at his sides. People were going nuts as he gestured to the man on his left.

Most of the people down here were men. They were dressed in loose, dark clothing like Yoongi was. You'd be lying if you said you didn't find any of them intimidating. Some had tattoos, others had piercings, or other things to express themselves with. You were still so confused on what was going on while Yoongi clapped. The man holding the mic was raising up the hand of the one to his left. Everyone was hollering while a small group were unimpressed. You were trying so hard to piece things together. What the hell is this?

"I can tell you're confused." Yoongi wrapped his arm around your shoulder.

"You think?" You crossed your arms. "What's going on?"

"We missed the battle, but that guy on the left right there is the winner." Yoongi pointed out.

"Winner? Battle?"

"Rap battle." Yoongi could barely contain the grin on his face. "Here, let's watch the next battle."

The lights on the stage were beginning to flash different colors. Two new people stepped up to the stage as the MC introduced them by their names. Yoongi explained to you that these underground rappers all went by special names. It was names they made up themselves that defined them as a person. Nodding, you watched the MC leave the stage. This was another battle and after about fifteen, they start making all the winners compete until there's only one. This apparently happens a lot. Stuff can either be prewritten or free styled. These rap battles didn't have too much rules to them for the most part.

The one rule Yoongi emphasized to you was that people were automatically disqualified if they stole rhymes from others. This whole contest was about building reputation in the underground world of rapping. It was more than just spitting bars and creating different flows on the spot. Yoongi held you tighter as he pointed at one rapper Caz who wore a bandana. While he was rapping, Yoongi told you to listen closely. Caz was criticizing the other rapper for being a fake. The other one only wore the fashion of hip hop, but actually knew nothing about it. You stared in awe as the man named Caz who let the other guy have it. Hip hop wasn't just a genre, but a culture.

"I look up to Caz," Yoongi said before hollering at the rapper.

The entire place was erupting when Caz finished. He seemed to be a favorite here. The other rapper didn't stand a chance. The crowd was connecting with Caz's performance. Caz paid attention to the way he said things and knew what it took to have the audience eating up his words. The other rapper merely tried to look cool on stage. He was lacking in a lot of things, but you couldn't point exactly what. You weren't too familiar with hip hop. Hell, you were lost in this new world Yoongi was introducing you to.

Though you were a beginner to this, that didn't mean you didn't like it. You were slowly getting invested in what was going on. It was cool to know something like this existed. It made you wonder how this place got started. Everyone had a passion that they wanted to work on. They've made their own community. You stared in awe until you felt Yoongi's arm leave you. That snapped you out of your trance right away. Where was he going? Panicking, you watched him disappear into the crowd without another word. Where was he going!? He left you all alone...

He better come back. You tried to hide in your large coat as you looked around. This place seemed fun, but you were still scared of everyone. The MC returned on the stage, riding off the high that the crowd was feeling. He continued to get them pumped up as he introduced a new rapper onto the stage. They were an older man with baggy pants and the brightest sneakers. You quietly clapped your hands for him while everyone else vocally cheered. The next to come up on the stage was a slender male with his skin white as snow under the bright lights. Your eyes began to widen slowly in realization. His appearance making him look fragile as a snowflake, but you knew he was tough. His icy eyes narrowed on his opponent.

"And here we have, Suga!" The MC gestured to the boy in a black coat. He pushed his dyed bangs out of his face as he stared into the crowd. Now your heart was starting to pick up the pace. The lights were starting to flash colors again as people clapped. Automatically, you bounced in your spot to see him up there.

"Go Suga!!" You squealed, clapping your hands. A purple light flashed onto your new favorite rapper. Yoongi had an air of confidence on the stage. He was deep in his element that he didn't even hear you screaming at the top of your lungs. Some guys around you chuckled at how excited you were. A few gentlemen who seemed to be fans of Yoongi waved you over. You pointed to yourself and they nodded. Stepping away from the wall, you walked over to them as a beat began to drop for the rappers on stage to use.

"I saw you with Suga earlier. I'm assuming you're his little girlfriend." An older guy laughed.

"Me?" Your face flushed. The three gentlemen were friendly though. Though their appearances were intimidating, they were kind. They let you get in front of them to get a better view of Yoongi performing. You were just Yoongi's friend, but you'll pretend to be his girl here. It came with some nice perks.

The other rapper started out first. The way he started his rap was to discredit Yoongi's experience. He automatically pointed out Yoongi's age. Saying things like how Yoongi should be in bed, he's still asking his parents for allowance, and things of that sort. It got you really riled up to hear all that crap. Yoongi kept calm though. He watched the other rapper do his part without saying anything. Yoongi never shook his head or rolled his eyes. All he had to do was raise the mic up to his lips when it was his part. Suddenly, the air in your lungs vanished in that split second.

"_Yes, look down on me like that. It's my hobby to prove you wrong. Uh_!" Yoongi growled, letting his voice echo. The crowd was silent and Yoongi chuckled as he continued, "_My skills become a controversy, it's too early to draw a conclusion. I'm killa, Jack the Ripper, I'll pierce you with my sharp tongue. I'm illa, even if I'm lazy, I'm busier than you—hit home?_"

Your heart was pounding so roughly against your chest. In your eyes, Yoongi was glowing on stage. He let his words rip at his opponent rather than entering his space. It made Yoongi admirable under the blue light. He proved how he deserved to be on this stage. He was a tiger that refused to be put down for something as silly as his age. The crowd was losing it already. They were clearly picking a favorite and you were positive Yoongi would pass to the second round. This is why he gets such little sleep. Yoongi works on what he truly loves to do here until the sun rises. You let out another proud shout as Yoongi finished, wiping his mouth like he just ate the other rapper for breakfast.

The MC came onto the stage, laughing and shaking his hand out like he had gotten bit. Yoongi took a step back as it came to the voting. With how much thrill filled the air, you forgot the small things in your life. You didn't care what time it was, where you were, or your responsibilities. The MC gestured his hand over to the other rapper and you heard the men behind you 'boo'. Grinning, you joined them while the rapper tried to hype up the crowd for himself. He wasn't getting any more handed out to him. Soon the MC motioned his hand over to Yoongi who went by the name of Suga. It was perfect for him.

You tried to make the most noise you could for him. And he won. Clapping your hands, you turned around with a giant smile. The men told you to follow them over to the side. They led you towards the entrance of the stage and Yoongi was getting off the stairs. His smirk widened once he saw the guys you were with. They gave him high fives and didn't hesitate to talk trash about the other rapper. Not to mention, they were losing it over what Yoongi said. Apparently, he had it written before and thought it was the perfect time to use it.

"You always write the most cutthroat things, Suga," The main male spoke. He did most of the talking while the others agreed.

"Thanks, Jinyo hyung." Yoongi rubbed the back of his neck.

"And hey, we found your girlfriend!" Jinyo pulled you over. Yoongi furrowed his brows until he realized they were talking about you. His cheeks became pink and you smiled at him shyly. "Don't go acting shy on us now!" Jinyo crossed his arms.

Without missing a beat, you ran to hug Yoongi tightly. He took a step back in surprise. He didn't expect you to be so affectionate with him, but you were extremely proud of him for that performance. Now you know more about him. Yoongi doesn't just listen to music to block out the world like you do. He listens to it for his love and passion for it. He listens to it because he's fallen in love with the power music has to change the world. Yoongi squeezed you tightly before looking down at you with a gummy smile. It was so amazing to see him perform. It almost felt unreal that the guy on stage is the same one you pester for not bringing his own food to eat during lunch.

"Did you tell them I'm your boyfriend?" Yoongi grinned.

"They assumed that on their own," You stated. Yoongi shook his head lightly, ignoring Jinyo in the background. He seemed the most excited to see Yoongi being cute with his girlfriend. Sure.

"I guess I'm your boyfriend here. It'll help keep other guys from hitting on you." Yoongi loosened his grip on you.

"I appreciate that a lot, Oppa." You winked at him. Yoongi was stunned but laughed anyway. He turned you to face Jinyo and the two others who you learned were named Junsuh and Jaegyu.

Jinyo had a lot to say. He was in his mid-twenties and loved coming here like his two friends. The only thing with him was that he loved the atmosphere and watching people perform. Jinyo didn't consider himself much of a rapper. Yoongi instantly recalled an embarrassing memory which almost got him hit from his hyung. It was a lot of fun to see Yoongi so outgoing. He wasn't sheltered from people here. He was so open and was glad to see people. It was completely different from his personality at school. It really made you think differently on the type of person Yoongi is.

The two of you stayed for the longest time. Yoongi was going to stay for as long as he could. He wanted to go up in the rank. The highest he has ever gotten was round four. This time, you were there to witness him reaching round five. It was so exciting that adrenaline was pumping through the both of you. In the end, Yoongi didn't win, but it wasn't about that. He was just glad he could work on his skills. The two of you said goodbye to Jinyo and his friends before rushing outside to Yoongi's bike. The sky wasn't as dark and your heart dropped. What time was it in the first place?

Yoongi sped on his bike to take you home as fast as he could. He didn't expect to stay up this late. When he slowed down by your house, you felt anxious. Hopefully your parents never found out you were gone. Thanking Yoongi for the ride, you were about to walk up to the pipeline until Yoongi grabbed your wrist. He pulled you into a warm hug. What is this? He was silent for a few seconds. It wasn't long before Yoongi whispered how grateful he was to have you there with him all night. His warm breath tickled your neck and you giggled.

"It's no problem, Yoongi." You booped his nose.

"Go in your room. It's five in the morning." Yoongi let you go.

"Seriously?" You glanced at your window.

"I'll see you at school in two hours." Yoongi sat back on his bike. Waving goodbye, you yawned and ran up to the pipeline. No wonder Yoongi is always so tired. It took so much energy to get back into your room. As you closed the window, you felt like you had forgotten about something. Whatever it was, you didn't care. You were back at home and you collapsed onto your warm bed. You'll take those two hours of sleep now.


	7. Testing

Ch.7

Getting up for school took too much energy. That was to be expected though. You barely got any sleep at all last night. Running on two hours of sleep, you got ready for school and tried to look like you were put together. It's a good thing your parents are gone for work by the time you're getting ready. They didn't get to witness you moving around like a zombie. At least they went to work without any worries of their daughter sneaking off at midnight. It's not like you did anything illegal though! So they can't really get mad at you too much. All you were doing was supporting a friend and you stand by that!

Either way, supporting a friend almost made you miss your stop. You fell asleep on the bus on your way to school. Thankfully, the old lady who always rides the bus in the morning woke you up. She knew your stop and the bus driver knew you went to Sehwang from your uniform. It was embarrassing to be woken up with dry drool on your chin. You thanked the old lady and she told you to rest well to pass all your classes. That's certainly true. You were going to ride off those two hours of sleep and survive the school day! Then it made you wonder how Yoongi was handling this morning.

All your curious thoughts were answered by the time you entered class. Yoongi yawned loudly as his head got closer to resting on his desk. The dark bags under his eyes were so prominent than ever before. Did he even sleep? Going over to your desk, you set your bag down before tapping on Yoongi's desk. He quickly bolted up with wide eyes. He looked like he was ready for anything until he saw it was you. Soon his eyes became heavy again as he relaxed. Yoongi sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair.

"It's just you." Yoongi groaned.

"Yoongi...did you even get any sleep?" You frowned.

"No." Yoongi scoffed. He chuckled as if he thought this was a humorous situation. It really wasn't. Though Yoongi is really good at rapping and loves going to see rap battles, he should do so in moderation. This is starting to become unhealthy.

"You really need the sleep, Yoongi. This is going to kill you. Please promise me that you'll make more of an effort to sleep." You smiled despite Yoongi rolling his eyes. "I slept as soon as you dropped me off. Though I still feel like I'm dying, I'm also thriving. I can survive this day—"

"I studied for the test we're having today." Yoongi leaned back in his chair with a smirk

Test?

Yoongi held back his laughter as he watched your face contort into horror. That's what you were forgetting!! There's going to be a math test today and you didn't study for sh*t! You're going to fail and get kicked of Sehwang before you know it! Bringing your hands up to your hair, you felt your legs turn into jelly. Yoongi actually studied in exchange for his sleep. He knew exactly what he was doing. It made you want to scream that he was somehow more prepared for this test than you were. The only things you knew were the stuff Namjoon taught you and that was only going to be a small portion of this test.

"I'm going to fail." You fell into your seat. Yoongi watched you spiral into despair. All your worries were snow balling out of control. All it takes is one fail to kick you out of this school entirely. You didn't try hard enough to stay here. Your parents are going to be so disappointed.

"Hey, you'll be fine." Yoongi put his hand on your back. He knew right away where your thoughts were going. Instead of teasing you, Yoongi took the time to comfort you and it was appreciated. "You said you brought your grade up back to a B-, right?"

"This test will knock me down to an F." You felt jittery.

"There's a couple minutes before class starts. Cram." Yoongi pointed to your backpack. He's right.

There was no time to waste. Rushing to your bag, you pulled out all your notes to study from. They were in extreme detail. You wrote down everything Mr. Kim said in hopes of the things making more sense. You tugged out the worksheets from your folder and old tests that were corrected. Yoongi left you to study for your life. Everything depended on this test. Hopefully the grade you get on this test leaves you in safe ground for a little longer. This entire school year was starting to sound more painful. You're certainly not looking forward to the standardized exams happening in the spring. Those were killers.

Mr. Kim entered the class with a smile. Other students were reviewing their notes as well. The difference with them was that they actually knew what they were doing. The bell rang, but you didn't stop trying to shove information in your head. It wasn't until Mr. Kim told everyone to put away their things that you had to. Letting out a heavy sigh, you turned to face Yoongi. He gave you a tiny reassuring smile as the test got passed out. People sat straight in their seats, holding their freshly sharpened pencils. Your hands were sweating by the time Mr. Kim placed the paper on your desk.

It hurt. There were a few questions that you understood. When you answered them, it made you feel better that you knew the steps. That's what kept you sane throughout most of the test. You did your best on the questions you knew you had down. Then there were the problems that you knew you had no chance at. Still, you did your best to answer them all. You took the entire period to finish the test. Yoongi waited for you, making sure he was ready to comfort you if you needed it. By the end, you could confidently say that you failed that test.

Though you knew your results would be low, you didn't want to go down like this. You spent the entire time feeling nervous and sick. Yoongi dropped you off to your next class as you came to your final conclusion. It was the only way you were going to pass math. Before Yoongi could arrive to your last class, you took your phone out and searched for the piece of paper you had stuffed into your folder. It had to be there somewhere! Finally! You found it, your heart racing as you typed the numbers into your phone. You made sure to leave your name in the message and stated how you wanted to meet up with them after school. Perfect.

The bell rang and you walked out of your class to see Yoongi waiting for you. The two of you walked to the cafeteria together. You felt a lot calmer now that you had a plan on how to save your grades. As long as Yoongi doesn't find out then you're in the clear. Yoongi avoided talking about the test during lunch. You weren't really paying attention to what he was actually saying though. Nibbling on a slightly bitter strawberry, your eyes continuously found their way over to Namjoon. He was writing in that little notebook of his. This time he had something on his mind. He wasn't writing as fast as you've seen in the past.

"Cha (F/n)?" Yoongi's annoyed tone made you snap out of it. Dropping the strawberry onto the ground, you frowned. You barely ate the thing. You looked at your red stained fingers and grabbed a napkin. "Is the test on your mind?"

"...sort of." You wiped your fingers clean. They were still a bit sticky, but oh well. You picked up the strawberry and tossed it into the trash. "It's okay. I'll just study even harder for the next test."

"Everything will be okay." Yoongi nodded.

Hopefully. Lunch soon came to an end. Yoongi left you at your last class of the day. You were able to check your phone at that time. He responded to your text! The two of you would be meeting at the front of the school to talk. That sounds like a plan. You sent him back at text, the tenseness in your shoulders beginning to relax. You just needed to think positive and everything would work out. There's no way you got into this school only to fail. You'd like to believe fate wouldn't be that cruel to you, but who knows? Life is strange.

You made sure to pack all your things before the bell had a chance to ring. By the time the bell rang, you were already running down the halls. Other students stepped away from you. They stared at you like you were crazy and lacking in manners. The nickname 'public school rat' left a boy's lips. He's lucky you don't have enough time to knock him out. Then again, people like him aren't worth your time. They're harmless. Arriving to the front of the school, you didn't see him standing there. You made it early, but he didn't know to make it here quickly.

"Oh God..." You panted. You watched so many students walk past you. None of them were who you were looking for. Tapping your foot, you played with the green button on your uniform nervously. Then you saw the tall boy making his way over to you with a gentle smile. "Namjoon!!"

"Hello there, Cha (F/n)." Namjoon's expression left you feeling so warm. He was always so welcoming towards you no matter what. He offered to tutor you and now you were thinking of taking him up on it. "You said you needed to talk to me in person? Is something wrong?"

"Very wrong. This is kind of urgent." You laughed while Namjoon furrowed his brows. "Math isn't my best subject. I really appreciated the last time you helped me with the worksheet."

"It's no problem at all." Namjoon shook his head.

"Well, remember that time you offered to—"

"(F/n)." Yoongi's voice interrupted. Sh*t.

Namjoon turned around to see Yoongi walking up to the both of you. Right away, you could read the upset expression on Yoongi's face. He seemed so bothered by the fact that Namjoon was even near you. It made you want to scream that you couldn't get your question out fast enough. Namjoon's warm energy fizzled away. He took Yoongi's burning glare and remained silent. Pursing your lips, you tried to silently warn Yoongi with your eyes. He better not start anything! That boy was already looking back and forth between you and the class president.

"We were in the middle of having a conversation," Namjoon stated.

"Yeah? Well, it ends now." Yoongi grabbed your hand.

"What?" You frowned. "Yoongi, don't be like that."

"Why were you talking to him?" Yoongi squeezed your hand tighter. "Was it about your test? Don't let him pester you about it. He's—"

"Right here." Namjoon began to narrow his eyes on Yoongi. His face became dark at your friend. "Can you please not talk as if I'm not here? I don't understand what your problem with me is."

"You don't?" Yoongi cocked a brow up. It wasn't out of simple curiosity. There was a hint of aggression in his voice. It sounded more like Yoongi wanted to get under Namjoon's skin and did so successfully.

"You're nothing, but trouble." Namjoon's hands tightened into fists. "You're affecting the students here—"

"I haven't done jack sh*t!" Yoongi yelled. Other students walking by became quiet at the commotion. They stole furtive glances at the two males. You were still trying to rip your hand out from Yoongi's iron grip.

"(F/n), I suggest not hanging out with someone as disruptive as this temperamental delinquent!" Namjoon looked over at you. Freezing, you stop trying to fight Yoongi's hold of you.

"Thanks for the kind words, Class President. You really care about your classmates." Yoongi jabbed. He looked over Namjoon once, holding back from letting his words get nasty.

"Only the ones worth my time." Namjoon bitterly spat. His eyes traveling over to you again. "I'm sorry, (F/n). You didn't come here for—"

"She doesn't want your d*mn apology! Let's go, (F/n)." Yoongi wrapped his arm around your shoulders.

Nothing left your mouth the entire time. Namjoon sighed heavily as he watched you walk away with Yoongi. Your legs moved for you and at the pace Yoongi wanted. He just needed to get off the school campus. He was fuming from that fight and you understood why. They both snapped at each other. You didn't expect Namjoon to say things like that to Yoongi. But you also didn't appreciate Yoongi making a fight out of nowhere. Could they really not get along? During the entire walk to the bus stop, your heart sat in your stomach. It made you feel sick.

Deep down you knew that Yoongi and Namjoon weren't horrible people. It was a little hard to get over the fight though. Yoongi had calmed down from the fight by the time the bus came by. He went on with you, a wave of regret hitting him. He looked down at the floor of the bus a bit shamefully. He didn't speak for a long time until the bus was nearing your stop. Yoongi rubbed his hands together, taking in a breath before looking at you. He bit his lip right away when he realized you had been staring at him the entire time.

"Please don't start fights." You rested your head against his shoulder. He looked down at you before carefully resting his head on top of yours. "I don't want you to get in trouble. I don't want people to say bad things about you."

"...I'm sorry. I should really know better," Yoongi said quietly. "I just get so annoyed when people only see me as one thing. Namjoon gets on my nerves but...I'll try to improve myself. I only end up proving him right when I fight with him."

"It's good to prove them wrong." You smiled. "And remember that Namjoon isn't just the class president too. I'm sure the two of you will find common ground eventually."

"I'll find it for you." Yoongi chuckled lightly as he pressed the button for your stop.

"Silly." You giggled, closing your eyes. He felt comfortable to lean on. "But thank you."


	8. Tomorrow

Ch.8

You came to school feeling nervous. The tests had to be graded already. That was not a good thing either. Things were only going to continue going downhill from here. Technically, it didn't have to be that way. Yoongi would want you to be a little more positive surprisingly enough. He didn't care if he failed, but he knew how much it meant to you. It was all you could think about. He's already experienced you dozing off because of it. Yoongi was only going to get more crying from you about the entire test.

Dragging your feet, you made it to Mr. Kim's classroom in despair. It didn't last long. You snapped out of it once you saw all your classmates standing outside. Was Mr. Kim not here yet? All the other students were talking to their friends or on their phones. Okay then. You wouldn't have thought much about it except for the fact that Yoongi wasn't here either. He's usually already at the school since he lives close by. Frowning, you began to realize that he wasn't coming in today. He had to have gone rapping underground and lost his sleep.

That punk. Right when you needed him most.

"(F/n)!!" Hoseok ran to you, waving his arm excitedly. Oh, this is too early in the morning for that amount of energy. He charged at you with a giant smile on his face. Did he want your number? Swallowing hard, you had no idea how to get out of this one. The other students were staring at him in confusion. What was a popular guy like him talking to you? He seemed to have left his original group of friends to talk to you. That wasn't necessary.

You gave Hoseok a half smile as he slowed down in front of you. Mr. Kim still wasn't here and Yoongi would most likely not be showing up today. There was no point in causing a scene so you sighed and got over it. A short conversation with Hoseok won't hurt. As long as it doesn't end the same way it did last time. He came to you to ask about Namjoon but left with his own answer. He didn't care for what you had to say. His words were able to stick in your head though. You don't know Namjoon and he can't fit everything his label has under its description.

"Hi there, Hoseok." You felt slightly awkward. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Hoseok nodded, pulling out his phone from his yellow jacket. He held it up as you impatiently tapped your foot. It wasn't anything against him. Your stomach was doing flips again as you were reminded of your test. It just kept randomly popping up in your head. Constantly haunting you and making you worry about what will come next. You should have studied harder. You should have done so many things beforehand, but now you're worrying about your grade? It was already awful. At this point, you deserved to fail. Biting your lip, you looked around for Mr. Kim. Your entire stomach felt empty and the back of your neck got so hot for some reason. It was burning as strands of hair stuck out. You were so jittery and all over the place. "(F/n)? (F/n)?"

"Y-Yes?" You turned to face the male again. You were tightly gripping the sleeves of your uniform. A huge wave of anxiousness was hitting you. Taking in a shaky breath, Hoseok caught that and stopped trying to show you random videos he found funny. He pursed his lips, quickly tapping onto his phone. He wasn't going to deal with you now that you were panicking. Even Yoongi was getting fed up with it. He had to be.

"Play this game, (F/n)." Hoseok handed you his phone.

"Game?" You held it, staring at the screen in slight confusion.

"It's a puzzle game and requires a bit of thought to beat the levels." Hoseok grinned. "I'm kind of dumb so I haven't really gotten far."

"...you're not dumb. You got into this school." You were able to give him the tiniest smile. That one ounce of genuine joy made Hoseok's grin widen.

"You're pretty smart though. Play this level." Hoseok tapped at the screen. "I couldn't figure it out for the life of me."

"Okay." You began to play.

The game was simple to get the hang of. Beating levels could be a bit hard though. It took you less than a minute to complete the one Hoseok was struggling with. All you had to do was drag lines and connect dots without making them cross. The lines had to cover every square in the small box it was in. You paid attention to the game, almost forgetting that Hoseok was right by your side. You forgot that you were waiting for Mr. Kim. A few seconds ago, you were ready to throw up your breakfast. It was so sudden, but you were calming down. Your breathing relaxed as you played the game. Anytime you beat a level, it made a sound of bubbles and water. It felt really nice.

"You're a natural," Hoseok mumbled. You felt better already. Turning to face the bright boy who glowed in his yellow jacket, you wanted to thank him. Mr. Kim arrived before you had a chance though. The bell rang and he rushed to open the doors.

"I'm so sorry I was late everyone!" Mr. Kim shouted. Students entered the room, listening to his explanation. You held Hoseok's phone unintentionally tight. It was your cue to go inside. Hoseok stepped to the side, blocking your view of Mr. Kim.

"Need a minute?" Hoseok tilted his head.

"Me?" You paused to think. Though the tight feeling in your chest returned, it was bearable compared to the last time. You had this. It was going to be okay in the end anyway. You were going to be fine and safe. It just had to be. "I'm good...thanks, Hoseok."

"No problem." Hoseok smiled as you returned his phone. "The game is called Flow by the way." He turned around, walking into the classroom.

This interaction with Hoseok was a bit unexpected. It was something you didn't know you needed. Earlier, you would have been fine with never speaking to Hoseok again. Now you were starting to gain a different perspective. He's different when he tones down his energy to focus on one person. You never thought someone who seemed to do everything for attention would be that sympathetic. Stepping into the classroom, you took your seat at the back of the class. You wish you could say that you were completely calm. That would have been really nice, but the anxiety still lingers in the background. Popping up in the back of your mind anytime you had a second to think.

Hoseok kept turning around to check on you. You were still going. You were surprised he was being so attentive. After what happened, you appreciated it. You had no idea what would have happened if he didn't give you that app to play with. All your thoughts were narrowing. Trapping you in this one dark spot and forcing you make your problems extreme. It was like all your senses had numbed. Just looking back on it made your heart pound against your chest. You didn't want that feeling to overwhelm you again. It was so suffocating. Like your world was deteriorating and it was hard to breathe. Swallowing hard, you tried to erase those thoughts from your mind.

"I finished correcting everyone's tests." Mr. Kim held the stack in his hands. Here it comes. "I've inputted the grades online already as well. We got some great results and some...lacking ones." His eyes quickly flashed over to you. Is he serious? Your face paled. Mr. Kim wasn't doing it to be mean though. He looked concerned as a regular teacher should be over a student who is struggling in their class.

"I'll do better next time! Sorry, Mr. Kim!" Hoseok raised his hand up. He spoke so loudly, everyone turning to face him. Mr. Kim gave him a look of confusion while others laughed. Hoseok's friends patted his back and others commented how funny his bravery was. You chuckled lightly, feeling a tiny bit of relief.

"Er...sure." Mr. Kim nodded. He was slowly handing back tests when an office assistant slipped into the room. She handed Mr. Kim a tiny piece of paper. Student's eyes were glued to the paper as Mr. Kim looked it over. He raised his head up, looking over the rows of students. His eyes quickly locked with yours as he rose it over his head. "Cha (F/n). It says the principal needs to see you now."

"N-Now?" You squeaked. This couldn't be happening. Gripping your desk tightly, you pushed out of your seat. It felt so awful to walk up to Mr. Kim to retrieve the paper in front of everyone. An orange flame covered your body as their silent eyes watched you. With the paper in your hands, you saw the boy in the yellow jacket giving you a reassuring thumbs up. Thank you.

Leaving the room, you made your way to the principal's office. His office was far from Mr. Kim's class. The main office was up in the front, but this place was also a castle. You quietly walked down the long empty halls, letting your anxiety eat you up. You have no real reason to be called up to the principal other than your grade. There wasn't much to imagine with what he was going to talk to you about. You opened the office door and showed the piece of paper to the woman up front. She instantly let you in to your surprise. You thought you would have some time to wait. A little time to think of stuff to make Principal Yoo keep you here at Sehwang.

The woman knocked on his door before opening it up for you. Principal Yoo looked away from his computer to thank his assistant. Then his eyes landed on you once she left the room. You wanted her back in here. The door closed and Principal Yoo calmly told you to take a seat. His office smelled like cleaning supplies in the grey room. It only spiked up your nerves as you sat down in front of him. No matter what you did, you felt uncomfortable. Principal Yoo clicked on his mouse, giving you a small smile as he glanced back at his screen. Muttering he had to pull up something real quick. Oh, you really hated this. Rubbing your sweaty hands, you pursed your lips and simply waited.

"Now...Cha (F/n)." Principal Yoo leaned back in his seat. He looked over at you, peering over the thin rims of his glasses. "Your latest grade in your math class has placed you at a high D."

"I'm sorry..." You quickly blurted out. It was too hard to look him in the eye. Instead, you kept your hands on your knees and stared at the ground. Your shoes. Anything.

"You're not in trouble, Cha (F/n)," Principal Yoo stated. Squeezing your knees, you swallowed as he continued, "I'm only advising you to raise it by the end of the semester. Normally your counselor would be the one giving you this warning, but she's on maternity leave. I'll be handling some of her work until we can get a proper substitute."

"...wait. So I'm not getting kicked out?" You slowly raised your head in confusion. Your chest was still pumping rapidly in your chest. Principal Yoo shook his head at you.

"No. Though we do have a strict policy on all our students passing their classes, we give them until the end of the semester to improve." He shrugged. "If it is a slow progress but we see improvement and your teacher states they can see your hard work, then we'll wait until the end of the year."

"Really!?" You almost jumped out of your seat. Hearing that made you so hopeful like you still had a chance to turn things around. Yoongi's right. It's going to be okay. You'll be better this time! Falling back into your seat, you blush lightly. That was a little embarrassing. Principal Yoo lifted a brow at your behavior and luckily, ignored it.

"Yes, though do take our generosity lightly. It's not candy and you only get one chance." Principal Yoo folded his arms. He tilted his head, giving you a better view of all the framed awards on the back of his wall. Many of them were the achievements this school received. "I'm sure you knew what type of school this is when you applied. You managed to pass the entrance exam so I'd like to believe you can continue staying strong at this academy."

"I-I will! I'll work hard to focus on my studies!" You nodded desperately. It seems that was something the Principal was glad to hear. The corners of his eyes wrinkling when he smiled. His eyes remained serious though.

"That's very good. I'd like to hear there's nothing distracting you at all," He said. "Everything alright at home? Is it a good learning environment there? Is this school causing you any issues?"

"Oh...everything's alright at home. I do fine just studying there and school is completely fine too!" You assured him. "It was just me. I take the blame for letting my grade drop so low. I'm sorry."

"As long as you get it up then it's fine. Don't get distracted by friends or boys." Principal Yoo laughed. You shook your head with a smile. He's a lot friendlier than you thought he would be. "And Mr. Kim is a good teacher? I can see that two others are struggling as well when I check his class's grades."

"Mr. Kim is a great teacher! Despite being new, he's very good at his job. I just daydream..." You felt embarrassed. You'll try to get your act together in school for now on. Principal Yoo nodded his head, sighing in relief. Looks like the both of you needed to have this conversation. Now your worries are washed away as well as his. "Trust me, Mr. Kim is doing fine. My friend pays more attention and is doing better than me. I'm sure I'll get my grade up soon, Sir."

"I'd hope so. I'm rooting for you, Cha (F/n)." He reached for his coffee as you began to stand up. Was it okay for you leave? It was hard to tell. "Who's your friend if you don't mind me asking?" He brought the cup up to his lips.

"Min Yoongi," You spoke without thinking. You had forgotten Yoongi's rough relationship with the staff. It slipped your mind somehow. He always avoids interacting with faculty and it always looked like the Principal had an eye on him. As soon as that name left your lips, you regretted it. Principal Yoo was taken by surprise and spilt the coffee onto his green tie. Covering your mouth with your hands, you watched him panic. He set his coffee down and hissed at the pain. It had fallen onto his desk, hot drips landing onto his pants. You looked around for some kind of napkin or rag, but there wasn't any. Eventually, Principal Yoo was fine and stared at you with a weak smile.

"...M-Min Yoongi, you say?" Principal Yoo sighs. "How's he? I know he can be a bit of trouble."

"...he's great. He's the first friend I made here and he's...really welcoming. Kind and sweet." You made sure to look the Principal in the eye. Yoongi's not a delinquent like everyone thinks he is. Whatever he did in the past is in the past. Principal Yoo stared at you, his face neutral as he removed his stained green tie. "I'm very glad to have met him, Sir."

"I see...that's good. Keep an eye on him and don't get distracted." The principal's eyes fell down to his desk. His nods were gentle as he looked at the items on his normally neat desk. A computer, a picture frame, and spilt coffee.

"Yes, Sir." You bowed before leaving the room.

A large sigh of relief escaped your lungs the second you left his office. It was a breath you didn't even know you were holding in. Walking out of the office, you quickly made your way back to class. You tried not to overthink the conversation you had with Principal Yoo. He was only being friendly and then you had to reveal your friendship with Yoongi. Hopefully, you gave him a different light on Yoongi. Something to help Yoongi feel like the faculty on campus aren't out to get him. The only one who doesn't seem to bother him is Mr. Kim.

Opening the classroom door, Mr. Kim gave you a smile as you took a seat. Class resumed as normal and Mr. Kim went over the test. It made a lot more sense this time around. You made sure to write down everything he said. You need to get your grade up by the end of the semester or at least prove that you're working hard to pass. You're not going to mess around anymore. Instead of texting Yoongi where he was, you made sure to take a bunch of notes on the new chapter. Everything was important and you needed it shoved in your brain. By the end of class, you felt confident. Passing math is totally possible! You just have to put a ton of effort.

The first thing you needed to do was to lock down a tutor. Yoongi stopped you last time from asking Namjoon. Though you didn't appreciate their fight, you knew both of them were good people deep down. It was moments like this when Hoseok's words would pop up into your head. Maybe you should listen to Hoseok more often. So you waited for lunch to come by to ask Namjoon once again. He was busy during class so that gave you time to think of how to ask him. You had to be a lot more forward, but maybe he wouldn't want to anymore because of that fight.

It's going to work out! Whatever! You told yourself that it was going to be fine. It had to be. People have almost failed classes before and bounced back up to passing. This isn't something crazy. You had to keep yourself occupied to get it off your mind. You'll worry about it when it's time. You made sure to give your full attention to your last class before lunch. Even when your teacher gave you free time, you downloaded the app Hoseok had you play. That kept you busy until the bell rang. Other students were calmly walking to lunch and you tried to match that energy. Don't worry. Everything will be fine.

You went into the lunch line and took in a deep breath. Someone next to you did the same. Turning to face them, you almost laughed to see Hoseok. He kept the air in his cheeks, looking like a hamster who had just eaten. Once that light laughter left your lips, Hoseok laughed too. He wanted to talk but his friends quickly showed up. Their peering eyes, viewing the food in his tray and you who stood next to him. They patted his back, talking and continuously giving you a bad vibe. His friends were smart...but that didn't mean they weren't @ssholes.

Hoseok didn't say anything when you quickly went down the line. You got your lunch and walked through the cafeteria. The usual spot you sit at was waiting for you. Placing your tray on the windowsill, you heard footsteps. Lifting your head up instinctively at the noise, your eyes caught the tall male taking the windowsill next to yours. Closer now that your intimidating friend wasn't nearby. He already had that notebook of his out. He took a seat on the windowsill, opening the green book privately. He began to write and scribble away. The pencil sliding along the paper like an instrument. The tune almost unending as lunch carried on. You focused on the soft tone and smiled.

It's now or never.

"Hey, Namjoon! What are you writing?" You peeked into his windowsill. Namjoon instantly reacted in surprise. He jumped back, the notebook flying into the air. He dropped the pencil and hit the back of his head on the window behind him. The fluttering notebook fell face down onto the floor. Biting your lip, you automatically wanted to shrink. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

"It's fine..." Namjoon winced. He rubbed the back of his head, slowly sitting up again. He stared at you nervously before his eyes widened. They glanced over at the green item. He jumped onto his feet, stammering as he rushed to it. Namjoon was all over the place as he hid it in his red backpack and clutched his pencil.

"Everything okay?" You questioned.

"O-Of course! Everything is absolutely fine." Namjoon continued to fidget. You weren't too convinced with his answer. Glancing at his bag, you meant nothing of it. You only made the connection that he was responding this way because of that notebook. Namjoon took it differently. "R-Right! That notebook...you wanted to know? Well! I just do a bunch of dumb doodles."

"I see then." You were fine with taking the lie.

"Yes! Doodles! Some better than others and some...dumb." Namjoon swallowed before muttering 'doodles' under his breath one last time. If that's what he wanted you to believe then okay. Moving on, you clasped your hands together and took in a breath.

"So Namjoon! I actually came here to ask you something." You already began to give him your best pleading eyes. "I wanted to know if you could be my math tutor. I'd really appreciate it if you could."

Namjoon stared at you in surprise. He must have not expected you to have asked this of him. He stopped feeling the orange blaze on his skin as he processed what you actually went to him for. It wasn't about what he kept in that little journal of his. You barely knew him to pry like that. The boy relaxed his tense shoulders and straightened his posture. You kept your friendly smile in hopes of hearing a 'yes'. Namjoon's face was unreadable at first until he began to smile back at you. That automatically made you lose all your nerves.

"You want me to tutor you?" He repeated. Nodding your head, Namjoon sighed and grinned widely. "I would love to help you. I'll gladly be your tutor. Let's arrange a day to meet after school."

"Just tell me what time works for you! I'm free practically all the time." You shrugged.

"Great. I'll text you my address and I'll be seeing you soon." Namjoon pulled out his phone, tapping away at the screen.

And it was that easy. You spent the rest of lunch with Namjoon. There was no point in sitting by yourself in the windowsill right next to him. Luckily, Namjoon didn't mind at all. He welcomed you to join him. Grabbing your lunch, you sat next to him and talked about all the struggles you were having in math class. Namjoon listened and was already planning on what to teach you. The first tutoring session would be taking place tomorrow after school at his house. It made you feel pretty excited. Math sucks, but at least you're making efforts to raise your grade.

Namjoon is really sweet like you expected. He did apologize for his behavior towards Yoongi the other day. He told you that it just slipped out of him and that he was going to work on his temper. You understood that, but you made sure that he understood Yoongi. Despite the attitude and the looks, Min Yoongi is a kind and passionate person. He's a great person to have as a friend. You hope the two will be able to accept one another. Namjoon took your words and promised to be a better class president. It sounded like a good deal to you.

After lunch, you resumed with your last class of the day. You felt a lot better now that you had everything sorted out. As long as you handled things little by little, you'll be fine. It doesn't come off as overwhelming. Once your mind got stuck on failing, it traveled to other ideas. To getting kicked out, your parent's reactions, and where to go next. It was a lot to handle that it made you panic. In the end, you got yourself to realize that that did you no good. Now you were looking at things in a brighter light. A little more positivity to help you along the way and it seems that you had some people in your life to help you keep it up.

By the time class ended, your phone started to ring. It buzzed in your backpack and rang loudly. Student's looked over at you as you checked the caller ID. Who's calling just as school ends? Your eyes widened slightly to see Yoongi's name. He's calling you! Smiling right away, you brought the phone up to your ear as you exited the school. Students were chattering loudly in the halls so you had to cover your other ear to hear him properly. Running through the halls, you did your best to make it out to the gates of the school already.

"Yoongi-ya!" You grinned.

"Hey there, Sugar." Yoongi chuckled.

"Sugar?" You raised a brow. "What is this?"

"I was testing out what to call you for when we go back to see my rap hyungs," Yoongi stated, not hiding his excited tone. "I'm planning on seeing them tomorrow night and battling. Wanna come with?"

"T-Tomorrow?" You began to slow down as you stepped out of the building.

"Yeah, tomorrow. Why? You got something planned already?" Yoongi questioned.

"Yeah...sorry, I already made plans." You bit your lip. Hopefully, he won't get mad if he asks what it is. You'll tell him if he asks without a problem. It's not a secret.

"Ah, that's okay. I'll go there myself then," Yoongi said. "I'll see you soon though."

"Soon?" You looked around. He didn't come to school today and he sounded fine over the phone. You highly doubt he was sick. Since you weren't looking at where you were going, you ended up bumping into someone. You caught a quick glimpse of the bright sun, shutting your eyes right away. "I'm sorry..."

"Already causing trouble?" The voice spoke in your ear as well as directly in front of you. Shocked, you opened your eyes to see Yoongi. He stood with a smirk. He waved his phone in your face before hanging up.

"Yoongi! What are you doing here?" You looked around, bringing him away from the other students. "You didn't show up to school until just _now_?"

"I didn't feel like doing today so I just skipped." He shrugged. "But I promise to come tomorrow to catch up. Missing school days is like asking for death when it comes to here."

"Then why would you purposely ditch!?" You couldn't understand. Yoongi continued to laugh at your reaction.

"I needed a day to cool down before I could look at Mr. President again." Yoongi wrapped his arm around your shoulders. He started to walk you down the street with the crowd again.

"Okay, but why come now?" You watched him roll his eyes at all your questions.

"Isn't it obvious?" Yoongi became amused at your subtle pout. "To take the bus home with you. Come on. I don't want you to miss it."


	9. First Tutoring Session

Ch.9

School ended and you were trying to figure out how to casually tell Yoongi that you didn't need him to walk you to the bus. Today would be the day that you were going to Namjoon's house for your first tutoring session. It was exciting yet terrifying. A part of you was worrying if you wouldn't understand anything even with his help. That would be so annoying for him. There were other worries, but they all circled around failing math no matter what. Anytime those unnecessary thoughts popped up in your head, you kicked them out as fast as you could.

There was nothing to worry about! All you had to do was pump yourself up. Once you do that, you'll tell Yoongi that you're walking with Namjoon to his house and that'll be it. If he has a problem with it then you'll set him straight. Simple as that. Yoongi was waiting for you outside of your class. It always made you wonder how he got there so fast. Did he sneak out of his last class? The two of you walked down the hall and you were telling him about what happened on the day he was gone. Using that, you were hoping to casually slip in the fact that you wouldn't be going on the bus today.

"I was really nervous to see my test score." You sighed. Yoongi nodded, listening even if he wasn't looking at you. "But I pulled myself together with the help of Hoseok."

"Hoseok?" Yoongi immediately looked over at you. He stopped walking to stare at you in confusion. His reaction didn't surprise you. Anytime Hoseok and you interacted, it never ended well. You were dead set on never becoming his friend and Yoongi knew that. He's heard your complaints in the past. Now things weren't as tense with Hoseok though.

"I know, it's weird." You shrugged. "He just talked to me alone and it actually made me feel a lot better."

"...that's good. I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to help you too." Yoongi stared at the ground as the two of you kept walking down the hall.

"It's all good! Don't worry about it at all." You shook your head. "There's more to it too. I was called to the Principal's office because my counselor is out at the moment and—"

"Principal's office?" Yoongi froze in his spot again. This time his eyes became stone cold.

"Let me finish my story, d*mn it!" You stomped your foot. Something to get rid of the tense air. Yoongi grumbled an apology, letting you continue. He still wasn't happy to hear you were with the principal for whatever reason. "He told me I was failing and that I had until the end of the semester to bring it up. I'm in the clear!"

"...well, I know you can pass. This place would become hell without you." Yoongi groaned at the thought. "I hate this school so much. I don't care if it looks good to colleges. It's always college this and college that. F*ck that sh*t."

"Do you not want to go to college?" You walked to the side of the school gates. Yoongi raised his shoulders up to his ears, only to let them drop.

"I'm not sure...I'm just tired of hearing about it all the time. It's not for everyone, that's for sure." Yoongi leaned against the stone wall covered with long green vines. He got comfortable as he looked up to the sky. He did his best to hide the intention in his voice, but you could hear it clear as day. "So...what else did the principal tell you?"

"Uh, nothing." You pursed your lips. His eyes instantly came down to meet yours. He knew right away that you were lying and it was the most frustrating thing in the world. The two of you hang out with each other so much that it's so easy to read one another. You only ignored his look though since you were getting to the point of the story that you wanted to reach. "But yeah! I told myself to quit messing around and to take school seriously. I genuinely want to stay here so I got myself a tutor."

"You got yourself a tutor?" Yoongi somehow managed to make you feel like you were being interrogated. He made you question your true intentions with his tone. Fidgeting in front of him, his eyes narrowed down on you.

"Yep and I'm going to them today. After school actually, so I'm not going on the bus," You explained. Your eyes quickly looked to the side, seeing Namjoon leaving the castle of a school. He was adjusting the straps on his bag, causing him to stop a couple feet from the gates.

"I'll walk you—"

"No, that's okay. I'm actually going to be walking with them to their house." You shook your head. Namjoon finished with his bag. He raised his head and made eye contact with you. Right away, the boy gave you a dimpled smile and started making his way over.

"Are they a student here?" Yoongi raised a brow. That's when the tall male stepped into the conversation, his height causing him to create a shadow on Yoongi.

"Sorry to interrupt. Are you ready, (F/n)?" Namjoon asked. Yoongi's eyes widened, looking back and forth between the two of you. He made you feel like you stabbed him in the back. It's not like that at all! Yoongi unfolded his arms and stepped away from the wall.

"You're her tutor?" Yoongi raised his voice.

"I asked Namjoon for help," You quietly told him in a stern voice.

Namjoon awkwardly stood by as you had a conversation with Yoongi. The wine haired boy made little protests. He started out by saying that he could have tutored you which you knew was a bad idea. He was barely passing himself. His mind was more focused on his music than school anyway. Since it was his passion, you didn't want to distract him from it either. Namjoon offered to help you once before and now you were taking him up on it. It was simple as that. Yoongi let out a huff, finally accepting that Namjoon would be your new tutor. You don't think Yoongi hated Namjoon as a tutor. He only hated the fact that you were spending time with Namjoon when you could be hanging with Yoongi in the underground rap scene.

Yoongi begrudgingly let you walk away with Namjoon. He mumbled bye and you gave him a hug for letting this happen peacefully. Namjoon didn't say anything at first. He waited a while before starting up a conversation. He was excited to help you pass. Now that he knew your situation, Namjoon was dead set on helping you stay at Sehwang. It's good to know your tutor won't give up on you. Namjoon and you talked all the way to his house. He lived a decent walk away from the school. Namjoon told you that he typically rides his bike, but he didn't know if you would want to ride on the back. He cutely rambled on about wanting to make you comfortable.

Then the two of you were at his house before you knew it. His house was painted white with a lot of flowers in the front yard. It was a pretty house that was bigger than most in the neighborhood. Namjoon got into host mode right away. He opened the door, asking if you wanted tea and telling you that you were his guest. It made you giggle and you accepted the tea. Namjoon took off his shoes and tripped on his way over to the kitchen. Though he looked like a well put together class president, he was kind of all over the place in reality. You took off your shoes and put on the guest slippers.

His house was decorated nicely in the inside too. You looked around, admiring how perfectly set everything was. The place was clean without a speck of dust. Namjoon shouted that you were free to sit at the kitchen table. That's where he would be tutoring you. Stepping inside, you found him pouring two cups of tea. You took a seat, watching him which might have made him more nervous. The hot liquid splashed out of the cup and he swore under his breath. He for some reason tried to wipe it with his hands and burned himself in the process. Biting the insides of your cheek, you remained seated at the table. Under no circumstances were you allowed to laugh at Namjoon. No matter how funny it might be.

"Here's the tea!!" Namjoon almost ran to the table. The cups bounced, getting him to stop and walk slowly over. He set it down at the table and let out a sigh of relief. "Let me just quickly...clean up the mess I made."

"Go ahead." You smiled. He turned around while you grabbed one of the cups. It had a floral design on the side in different shades of purple. Namjoon was rushing to clean, his face pink as he arrived to the table. He ran a hand through his hair and took in a breath.

"We'll talk for a bit before getting into it. Does that sound good?" Namjoon tilted his head. You nodded as you blew on the tea. Namjoon grinned and grabbed his own cup. In a good mood, Namjoon took a sip without thinking. "F*CK!"

"Quit burning yourself! Oh my God!" You laughed.

"I don't do it on purpose! I promise!" Namjoon set down the cup.

"You're a danger to yourself, Namjoon!" You covered your mouth in attempt to muffle the laughter. Something to help keep Namjoon's pride.

Namjoon laughed awkwardly at first. He was really nervous for some reason. He fidgeted with his tea and talked a lot. He had heavy textbooks already out on the table. He stumbled over his words for a bit before he took in a deep breath. After that, Namjoon let himself relax. He was in his own home and he had no reason to be so nervous. The tea helped him calm down in the end. The two of you talked quietly about your day at school. He seemed to be extremely busy with so many tasks he took upon himself. Namjoon rubbed his eyes tiredly but continued to beam brightly in front of you. He clearly works hard to keep his reputation up as the brightest student at Sehwang.

Then there was you. He asked what's been up with you and what you do after school. Nothing really. You didn't bother mentioning the fact that you went with Yoongi to see underground rap. That was something that you would keep to yourself. It was mainly Yoongi's thing anyway. You would have gone with him today if it weren't for the fact that you needed to be tutored. It only means that you'll have to make it up to Yoongi by coming with him another time. Namjoon nodded his head along to your words before setting down his empty cup. He cleaned up the table, ready to start the first lesson of tutoring.

In a way, you were ready too. You were ready to finally understand what was going on in math class. Actually working towards getting to that point was just a little harder. Namjoon turned away from the sink and returned to the table. Tucking your hands between your thighs, you silently watched Namjoon open the class textbook. He flipped through the pages to find the current chapter Mr. Kim was teaching the class. As he searched, his phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. It stopped after one ring. Probably just a random notification that Namjoon chose to ignore. It wasn't long before another buzz and another came through. Namjoon held the pages tightly and released it with a sigh.

"Sorry, excuse me for a second." Namjoon stood of up from the table. You remained silent when he grabbed his phone. He glanced at what was making his phone blow up, but he already seemed to have an idea on what was responsible. He stared at the screen and let out a chuckle. The corners of his lips automatically tugged upward and he hunched over quickly in laughter. Your ears perked up right away, but Namjoon covered his mouth. He shook his head as he put his phone on silent. He's not going to say anything? Your curious eyes followed him as he came back to his seat with his phone in his pocket. "Sorry for the interruption. Where were we?"

"Just about to start," You clarified. Leaning closer, you tapped your finger on the table. "Did you get something funny?"

"Huh?" Namjoon lifted his head up from his textbook. Right away, he smiled again. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah, I got something dumb from...a friend, I guess. He keeps texting me all the time, nonstop."

"Nonstop?"

"Yep. It was annoying at first, but...I've grown to like it. He sends me funny things, but I never know how to respond." Namjoon shrugged. "So I just don't."

"...can I see?" You questioned carefully. Namjoon was surprised but didn't mind. He took out his phone and handed it over to you. You looked at the contact name, reading the name of the person responsible for making the president bend over laughing. The little jester, 'Jung Hoseok'. He repeatedly sent photos that were weird. It even got you to chuckle. Handing Namjoon his phone back, you watch him laugh at the photos again. "Is that your type of humor?"

"It is...I laugh at dumb stuff." Namjoon shrugged almost apologetically.

"Are Hoseok and you friends then?" You smiled. Namjoon scrolled through his phone, shrugging once more.

"I wouldn't know. I never had one." Namjoon was smiling until his face froze. He stopped staring at his phone and looked over at you with panicked eyes. "I mean, I-I've had friends before. I have friends, yeah! Anyway!" Namjoon's face was bright pink.

"And you've never sent him anything back?" You decided to ignore his rambling. He was clearly getting uncomfortable so you switched it up. Namjoon looked back at you, his face returning to its regular color. He slowly stared at his phone again and pursed his lips.

"Y-Yeah...I want to, but I don't know what," Namjoon admitted.

"Maybe send him something you find funny back?" You suggested. Namjoon bit his lip before nodding his head with determination. He went through his phone and found something. Dimples began to indent in his cheeks. Namjoon showed you his phone as if asking for permission to send that to Hoseok. You stared at what he had which was a video of a tiny green animated ogre running through a dog course. It was pretty funny and Namjoon felt confident once you laughed. "It's perfect."

"I hope Hoseok likes it." Namjoon sent it. You've never seen him smile so much. He always looked so serious at school. He turned off his phone, putting it aside. "Okay. Now we can properly start—"

"I'M HOME!!!" A young voice called out.

Namjoon immediately groaned and rolled his eyes. It must be his younger sibling. His sibling shouted he had arrived home one more time for good measure. Namjoon muttered for you to ignore it. Keep focusing on the tutor session and nothing else. Namjoon flipped through the papers in frustration. His patience practically vanished the second he heard his sibling gasp dramatically. It alarmed you when you heard it. Namjoon didn't look surprised. With an agitated expression, he turned the textbook to you.

"So we're on chapter—"

"Hyung!! Who do you have over!? I see small shoes!" The voice gasped again. "Did you bring a girl over!?" Footsteps began running over. Namjoon jumped onto his feet, blocking the doorway in an instant. "Hyuuuuung!! I wanna see!!"

"No, Taehyung. Get lost." Namjoon huffed.

"I wanna meet your friend!" Taehyung poked his head between an open space. He was a small boy with eyes wide and innocent. He looked like a puppy, happily wagging his tail at a guest. Namjoon shoved him back and you could almost see his tail go down. He whined softly, "I want to know your friend. You've never brought a friend over before..."

"Taehyung." Namjoon's voice was stern.

"Hey Namjoon, I don't mind saying hi to him." You popped in. Namjoon tensed up but stepped aside. The small boy looked at you in shock. He didn't expect you to want to meet him. All of a sudden, the boy grew nervous. He grabbed Namjoon's sleeve and the elder frowned. "Hi there. I'm Cha (F/n) and it's nice to meet you."

"...I'm Kim Taehyung," Taehyung mumbled. "I'm hyung's younger brother."

"He's a seventh grader and he should really start doing his homework." Namjoon nudged the boy.

"Can I do my homework down here with you, Hyung?" Taehyung bounced.

"No. I'm tutoring (F/n) right now." Namjoon shook his head.

"I won't get in the way! Promise!!" Taehyung begged. He continued to grab Namjoon's sleeve and persisted. You thought it was cute how badly Taehyung wanted to stay, but Namjoon wasn't having it. He refused to cooperate with his little brother. The puppy barked and jumped, but Namjoon remained unmoved.

"To your room, Taehyung." Namjoon folded his arms.

"But Eomma and Appa—"

"Eomma and Appa aren't here so you have to listen to me." Namjoon stuck a hand in his hair. He sighed stressfully and his frown deepened.

"They're never here anymore..." Taehyung pouted before gritting his teeth.

"Just for right now, Tae." Namjoon put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll order food for us later and we can watch a movie. You pick."

The strong pout Taehyung held faded into a smile. It was a cute rectangular one that lit up the room. The tiny boy had perked up right away. He scampered in front of Namjoon, giggling and agreeing with the plan.

"Okay! Only because you suck at cooking!!" Taehyung ran towards the staircase.

"Go." Namjoon waved at him.

"And you know what? I'm going to start bringing my friend over too if you get to do it!" Taehyung shouted with his face shoved between the rails. Then he stood up and ran to his room, leaving your sight.

"She's here because I'm tutoring her!" Namjoon shouted, but his brother was gone. Namjoon slowly turned to face you again with an apologetic smile. He took his place again and you toned down your amusement. "Now let's get started." Namjoon brought the textbook close to you.

Despite the first couple distractions, the tutoring session was a complete success! Namjoon was able to perfectly explain the first concept to you. There were still some aspects that you were shaky on, but Namjoon is patient with you. He insists you'll be a professional by the end of the week. It's very kind of him to continue helping you. He even told you that you didn't have to pay him which was really sweet. Now that you understood the first section a bit, Namjoon would help you with the second section. Plus the rest of the sections as well as the new chapter the class was starting on. The pace is a bit fast so that's one of the other reasons you're struggling so much.

Namjoon tutored you for three hours. He said he could schedule specific days and you told him that you had to think about it. The main reason you didn't accept right away was because Yoongi liked to go rapping on a whim. Whenever he felt like it, he would go. He already knew you promised to go with him tomorrow. Namjoon offered to help you tomorrow, but you had make a little lie. A simple 'I can't do tomorrow' did the job. He never questioned it and was ready to help for whenever you needed him. It really made you feel bad that you weren't giving him anything in return. He insisted though and you couldn't do much against that.

Then there was this one point when Taehyung came downstairs. He had finished his homework and wanted to play with the two of you. He was 'sooooooo' bored he said. He got very close to Namjoon and begged for his attention. Namjoon found it annoying, but you could see how badly Taehyung just wanted to hang out with Namjoon. He was lonely. You didn't pry when you saw the poor child sulk about their parents not being home. Taehyung did ask you a question at the end of the tutoring session. Two actually. The first one was if you were Namjoon's girlfriend. That had an easy answer. No. Namjoon looked ready to kick Taehyung at that point. Namjoon's face was so pink at his younger brother's blunt words.

The second question was if he could call you 'noona'. Namjoon almost scolded the little puppy for trying to get too friendly. The two of you barely knew each other. Still, you didn't mind. If you would be going to Namjoon's house more often then you would naturally form a bond with his little brother. Namjoon was surprised when you quietly told the boy that he could. Taehyung almost didn't expect that answer himself. The shy aura he was giving off disappeared in an instant. He gave you that adorable rectangle smile and rushed to hug you. He was so excited to keep seeing you and you felt your heart melting. Cute. You were a sucker for anything cute.

"Come back soon! Okay, Noona?" Taehyung looked up at you.

"I will." You ruffled his hair.

"Quit bothering her, Tae." Namjoon ripped the boy off you before giving you a weak smile. "I'll see you at school, (F/n)."

"See you then." You waved, walking out the door. Yes, you believe tonight's tutoring session was an utter success!


	10. Failing

Ch.10

It's been two weeks since your first session with Namjoon. Things were going great. You were finally getting a good grip on the concepts and beginning to understand the new ones on your own. That didn't mean you were confident enough to do things on your own though. You relied on Namjoon to help you process everything and he didn't mind. He considered it as studying for himself as well. It really worked out for the both of you. Throughout the process, you've gotten friendly with Namjoon. You're not quite sure if he considers you a friend, but you believe you're on the edge of it.

The only one against the tutoring has been Yoongi. He's been getting a little upset with how much time you've been spending with Namjoon. It's not your fault! You try to make it equal since you know you're Yoongi's only friend. The only one at school who he's bothered to reveal his secret to. You didn't want him to believe he made a mistake by telling you. That's why you've been trying so hard to work with both boys. Some days it will feel like the school day drags on longer and other days feel like you're having rap battles in your dreams. Living two extremely different sides of life was draining.

Yoongi knew that you were trying your best though. He could see it in the way you would pinch yourself awake. Though you were falling asleep, you made sure to watch Yoongi's performance. There would either be a battle or an open mic. Yoongi's performance was the only one you truly cared for. Jinyo kept an eye on you when you fell asleep. He made sure you were safe so that was very kind of him. The other two, Jaegyu and Junsuh also do the same. They've made it their job. They wake you up a couple minutes before Yoongi performs in case you almost miss it. They're all sweet and still believe you're Yoongi's girlfriend.

"You up, (F/n)?" Junsuh nudged your shoulder. The sounds of some guy spitting into the mic were muffled. As you slowly came to, things became clearer. His words got louder and the lights got brighter. Jaegyu helped you get into a sitting position since you had fallen asleep on a couch. Yoongi had left a couple minutes earlier to prepare backstage. He would be performing an original that he's been working on all month. He said it's been the hardest one to write so you have to see this.

"Thank you, Junsuh-ssi." You wiped your eyes. Normally, you would address all three of the men as 'oppa' but that seemed off the table now that they believed you were Yoongi's girl. They didn't want to cause any misunderstanding. They were all older guys, but Yoongi was your 'boyfriend'.

"Yoongi is coming up next." Jinyo stepped closer, excitedly clapping his hands together. He was a major fan of Yoongi. Yoongi told you that Jinyo is the main reason he repeatedly came back to this place at first. Jinyo was able to make him comfortable here. He rubbed his hands before motioning for you to get up from the couch.

"Your man is going to kill it." Jaegyu grinned. The three men let you stand in front of them as you guys walked up to the stage. There were already people there waiting for the next act to come out.

"Oppa talked a lot about how long this song took him to write," You said. Junsuh and Jaegyu grew more excited to hear that meanwhile Jinyo nodded his head. He leaned down to whisper into your ear.

"That means it must be good. Some songs just require time and experience." Jinyo straightened up his posture as the MC came out to quickly announce Yoongi's entrance.

The name Suga rang into your ears. As soon as Yoongi came out, you were already cheering. So were his three biggest supporters. Suga had made a name for himself in the underground rap scene. He wasn't a big name, but he was getting out there. You were incredibly proud of him for how much hard work he puts into every song and performance. That's why you made sure to return to the same energy back to him. You were wide awake, your eyes never leaving him as he moved around the stage. Yoongi's stage presence was something you could never get over. It amazed you how lost he would get in his lyrics. His emotion hitting every word that left his lips.

Another outstanding performance by Suga. You clapped and cheered the loudest. At this point, everyone knew you as Yoongi's girlfriend down here. It helped keep off a lot of the older guys from you. Especially since Yoongi had three big fans who were willing to fight for him. Though you felt adrenaline from Yoongi's stage, that didn't stop you from trying to hold back a yawn. You were tired from the lack of sleep. Biting your lip, you did your best to keep it inside. The three men walked with you to the backstage area. It was technically just an open waiting room for rappers. There was a couch there and some other things. Yoongi stepped in from the stage and smirked once he saw all of you.

"That was amazing, Dude!" Jinyo rushed to the slender male. He had his arms stretched out before engulfing him into a giant hug. He squeezed your classmate tightly in his arms, lifting him up into the air. "You're the best rapper ever, little buddy. You turn into some kind of beast on stage when in reality you're like a sloth or something!!"

"...t-thanks, Jinyo." Yoongi struggled to get out. Finally, Jinyo set him down on the ground once Jaegyu smacked his back.

"Hey, maybe his girlfriend should be the first one to hug him?" Jaegyu scoffed.

"He's trying to steal your man." Junsuh looked at you, chuckling under his breath. "Is that even legal?"

"I'm just a fan!" Jinyo growled.

"I trust Jinyo." You giggled before going up to Yoongi with a gentle smile. He pulled you into a hug, his face becoming pink as his friends whistled and teased. You rolled your eyes and wrapped your arms around him tightly. "Oppa, you did amazing."

"Thanks, Baby girl." Yoongi chuckled and you could feel his chest vibrating. Lightly closing your eyes, you let the idea of staying awake slip your mind. Yawning against his chest, you felt Yoongi stop and pull away from you. His hands rested on your shoulders and he looked you over with pursed lips. "You're tired."

"No." You immediately shook your head. "I'm fine."

"I'll take you home then." Yoongi stepped away to grab his giant purple sweater. He threw it over his body before taking his motorcycle keys out of his pocket.

"Yoongi...it's okay." You grabbed his arm. Even your tugs to stop him were weak. He looked down at you as his friends watched silently. "You barely got to hang out with your friends today...I'll just take a quick nap here—"

"Hell no. I'm taking you home. Don't fight me on this." He narrowed his eyes on you. Sealing your lips, you stayed quiet as he said goodbye to his friends. They all wished you goodnight and for you to sleep well. As usual, it made you want to hug them. They were intimidating in appearance, but the absolute kindest. You could see why Yoongi befriended them all.

Yoongi drove you home that night. He made sure you got into your room safely before driving away. He was extremely worried at first. He thought he was causing you to lose too much sleep. Then one day you told him about how Namjoon gave you extra work to do on your own. That made him switch real fast. Yoongi took that as Namjoon was the reason you barely slept. It was a mix of a lot of things in reality. It was sort of frustrating to deal with. Yoongi's heart was in the right place, but he wasn't going about it the right way in your opinion.

Then Namjoon was also an interesting case. He started to notice how much you yawned as well. Since you thought you were safe at his place, you didn't hold back. It did get excessive though and Namjoon thought his lessons were too boring. It wasn't that. Nothing was wrong besides the fact that you getting four hours of sleep was considered 'sleeping in' now. At first, you told Namjoon the truth. You gave him a vague answer at least. You just didn't get enough sleep and he took that. Soon you began to worry him too.

"Are you sure you don't want to call it for the day?" Namjoon held the textbook cover, ready to close it. You shook your head and finished your yawn.

"Not at all...keep going." You tiredly stared at the pages. Though it took you longer to process the information, you were practically fine. Besides, there would be a quiz tomorrow and you needed to have this stuff down by tonight. It felt like every day was tests and quizzes in Mr. Kim's class. Pointing at a problem, you looked at Namjoon. "Can you explain this one?"

"We just finished that one. Do you want me to go over it again?" Namjoon asked as you furrowed your brows. He already did this problem? Yu must have dozed off. Nodding your head, you scooted closer and told yourself to focus. Pay attention. Blinking at the textbook, you heard him speak and breakdown the problem. The only thing was that everything was going in one ear and out the other. Namjoon glanced at you and noticed. "...we really should stop for tonight."

"...what if I don't do well on this quiz?" You frowned. Namjoon quietly closed the textbook. He pushed it aside as he yawned too.

"You will. You may not get a perfect score, but you'll pass." Namjoon smiled gently. He looked tired too despite it only being six. "I know you're capable of getting a passing grade."

"Thank you." You began to pack up all your things. "I'll see you tomorrow, Namjoon. Sleep well, okay?"

"I will." Namjoon stood up from the table. He helped you grab your things before walking you up to his front door. He opened the door and let out a sigh.

"You look almost as tired as me." You stared up at the tall male.

"Yeah...I study a lot." Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the ceiling. With that, you left his house and made your way home to sleep.

That's what most of your days have felt like. You've been adjusting to the lack of sleep though. It was starting to become slightly normal. It wasn't too bad. As long as you got to sleep in on the weekends then you were fine. With this new schedule, you were able to find a balance to make Namjoon and Yoongi happy. For the most part. As you said, Namjoon was easier to work with compared to Yoongi who believed Namjoon was overworking you. Besides all that, your life was getting used to this new change. Everything was going well until recently.

You sat in math class, making a paper crane as Mr. Kim passed out a worksheet. Yoongi was quietly watching you and laughed when you failed. The crane didn't come out the way it was supposed to. D*mn it. You were going to do it again, but you knew that it was only going to come out the same. Crumbling it up, you threw it at Yoongi's head before Mr. Kim could catch you. The delinquent boy scoffed and felt tempted to throw it back. Unfortunately for him, Mr. Kim came and set down the paper on your desk. You smiled up at Mr. Kim and Yoongi rolled his eyes. For some reason, your cheeks would still get pink around Mr. Kim.

"Gross," Yoongi whispered after the man left.

"Shut up." You huffed. Yoongi never wastes a chance to make fun of you. The only reason you bother to tolerate it is because Mr. Kim is just gorgeous. It's the truth! Due to the fact that your Dad doesn't really want you near guys, you've given up on the chance of getting a boyfriend. That's why you tend to get crushes fairly easy in your opinion. Mr. Kim was a good crush though!

Yoongi remained amused at your upset expression. Mr. Kim finished walking around the classroom and came up to the front of the class. He checked his watch as students looked over the paper. Some were even starting it already. Grabbing your pencil, you looked down at it and tried not to make your feelings obvious. The second you looked at the paper, you knew this would be challenging. Yoongi stared at it and swore under his breath. A new unit was getting started today. One that you knew would be one hell of a b*tch to learn. You glanced over at Namjoon out of habit. Anytime you were having a rough time in math class you looked at him. This time, Namjoon turned back to look at you.

"No one start yet!" Mr. Kim panicked. He waved his arms around and frowned to hear so many pencils get put down. Students looked up at the strange teacher as he chuckled awkwardly. "I forgot to mention, but this is a partner assignment. Also...you will all be graded for it."

"So many partner assignments." Yoongi sighed, turning in his seat to face you. "At least I have someone—"

"Cha (F/n), let's work together." Namjoon stood up from his desk. Other classmates were already turning their desks and moving around. Seats were getting pushed out as Namjoon made his way over. Yoongi raised a brow in immediate disbelief. He scoffed and started shaking his head right away meanwhile you only tilted your head. You didn't say anything as Namjoon stepped in front of your desk with a large smile. "I took a look at the problems and figured I could teach you how to do some of these now."

"You know how to do them already!?" Your jaw almost dropped. Namjoon chuckled lightly, nodding his head as he took a seat next to you.

"I do. I learned it briefly in middle school and read ahead so I could help you properly if you needed it." Namjoon began to scribble his name on the paper.

"They taught you this in middle school?" You felt your soul leave your body. You barely understand this now. The idea of having to learn this earlier sounded like pure torture.

"Excuse me." Yoongi interrupted with an aggravated expression. Though he was talking about you, he kept his on Namjoon. His eyes narrowed down on the president with an unfriendly gaze. You didn't really like how tight Yoongi was gripping his desk. His pale knuckles were turning milk white and you sighed. Namjoon frowned but wasn't backing down. He returned the same unhappy face at his classmate. "(F/n) and I were going to be partners. What are you doing?"

"She wasn't working with you," Namjoon said. "She seemed free to me."

"Well, she wasn't! We always work together." Yoongi motioned his arm back and forth. The two of you were glued to each other, but it hasn't been looking like that these past two weeks. It was starting to get to him.

"It doesn't hurt to find a new partner. Besides, I'm her tutor and I know I can really help her right now," Namjoon calmly stated. "Feel free to socialize with the other classmates. You might make more friends. That'll do you some good."

"If I wanted more friends—" Yoongi bared his teeth.

"Min Yoongi." You warned. The boy froze in his anger. His fiery personality started to shrink and die out. He stopped clinging onto the desk which got Namjoon to relax. Yoongi stood up from his desk, grabbing his things in defeat.

"...whatever, President." Yoongi walked to the front of the class. It made you feel bad. Maybe it was possible for the three of you to work together? Namjoon faced you again and let out a breath. Biting your lip, you saw how Yoongi looked so lost. He looked out at the other students with no real intention of befriending anyone. He pursed his lips and gave up without trying. Namjoon started speaking about the first problem yet his voice sounded muffled. Your eyes followed Yoongi who walked up to Mr. Kim.

"(F/n)? Everything okay?" Namjoon looked over his shoulder to catch you staring at Yoongi.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, everything is okay." You grabbed the paper. "...I'm just worried for Yoongi. He doesn't really get along with others easily."

"He doesn't?" Namjoon looked genuinely surprised for some reason. These two fight all the time. He's the last person you expected to react like that. "I mean, he befriended you. I don't know...I feel like Yoongi will befriend anyone he feels is worth is time. Or...you must have put in effort in befriending him, right?"

"...are you saying you're not putting effort into befriending, Yoongi?" You questioned. Namjoon became tense and tried to answer this carefully with your eyes on him.

"I'm only saying that though I don't personally want to become friends with him, I respect him as an acquaintance." Namjoon shrugged. "I'd be glad to help him as class president if he needed anything though."

"So a professional relationship?" You watched him slowly nod. You weren't expecting them to become the best of friends. All you were hoping was for them to tolerate one another. That would be nice. With Yoongi, he wasn't budging. With Namjoon...maybe there was a chance in getting him to convince Yoongi he wasn't so bad. Maybe.

"Exactly. Yoongi doesn't appear friendly, but he can make friends when he wants to." Namjoon chuckled. "If that makes sense."

"I guess it does." You tapped your pencil against your cheek. Namjoon returned his focus to the first problem of the worksheet. This time, you were able to pay attention to what he was saying. That didn't mean you understood.

In the end, Namjoon was the best tutor. He helped you finished the worksheet with time to spare. You're even sure that you can do some problems on your own. That's how good you feel! Passing math class will definitely be possible with the help of Namjoon. When there was only fifteen minutes of class left, Mr. Kim asked Namjoon to bring up all the papers to his desk. All the worksheets were brought up for the teacher to grade. Your eyes landed on Yoongi who was sitting next to Hoseok. The two of them high fived and were laughing together. Since when were they friends?

It's like Hoseok was friends with everybody.

Furrowing your brows, you remained confused in your seat until Namjoon came back. He started discussing what the plan was for after school. He was going to be reviewing the work you guys barely just did. That way it will get into your head, you'll process it, and you'll get used to doing it. Namjoon knew exactly was he was doing. The plan sounded good to you! By the time there was less than five minutes in the class, Mr. Kim was calling names up to his desk. He had finished grading them all and was calling people to retrieve them. Hoseok and Yoongi got their paper first. The two of them were pretty confident as they got their paper.

"Kim Namjoon and Cha (F/n)." Mr. Kim raised your papers up. Namjoon and you got up from your seats right away. Following behind the tall male, you watched him grab the paper. Mr. Kim congratulated the both of you with a charming smile. You blushed and almost forgot to follow Namjoon back to your desk. God d*mn it! You embarrassed yourself in front of Mr. Kim. Not that it matters.

"A perfect score," Namjoon said with a smile. Your eyes widened to hear that. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"A p-perfect score?" You grabbed the papers. Staring at the red ink, you started to squeal. You're definitely going to pass!!

Yoongi's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It felt unfair to me. I was going to be (F/n)'s partner as always. It was like an unspoken rule to everyone in the classroom. (F/n) and I did everything together. People would hardly see the two of us separated. I hated to admit it, but my pride was stung. I failed to keep my promise to (F/n) by trying to get Namjoon to leave. The promise was to get along with Namjoon and that didn't go well. It's not like I was going to punch Namjoon. All I wanted was for things to be normal. To be (F/n)'s partner and get the worksheet over with. I didn't understand why things had to be hard.

Looking around at all the other students, I already knew I'd rather do this alone than with anyone else. All the other students always looked bothered or disturbed by me. They believed in the rumors that Min Yoongi was some kind of future criminal. The rumors I always told (F/n) to ignore. They saw me as trouble and I didn't care to correct them. I possibly was. They didn't know the half of it. With a heavy sigh, I walked up to Mr. Kim who was happily humming to himself. I didn't have anything against Mr. Kim besides the fact that every girl drooled over him. That was a little annoying.

"Mr. Kim, I don't have a partner," I flat out stated. Mr. Kim looked up from his desk and frowned.

"That's no good." Mr. Kim looked at the rows of students to see everyone already partnered up. "Maybe if you want to work as three—"

"Can I do it alone?" I interjected. Mr. Kim was taken aback but coughed.

"I'd really you rather not. This worksheet is meant to be challenging..." Mr. Kim stood up to get closer the me. I crossed my arms while Mr. Kim rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not just that, Yoongi...your grade is slowly going down. I'm really afraid that doing this worksheet alone won't help you."

"My grade is doing just fine." I kept my voice in a low growl. I was never a fan of talking to staff. Especially now that I came to this d*mn high school. I really didn't want to come here. I felt on edge while speaking to this teacher.

"If you want, we can work on it together." Mr. Kim didn't give up. I paused, uncomfortable with how different this teacher was. Mr. Kim wanted to help me compared to others. Mr. Kim wasn't looking for a short cut or treating me differently. I pursed my lips until someone tapped on Mr. Kim's shoulder.

"Hey Mr. Kim, I don't mean to interrupt but...I don't have a partner." The boy gave the two of us an awkward smile. I knew what was going to happen the second those words left his mouth.

"This is perfect! Yoongi, work with Hoseok!" Mr. Kim clapped his hands. I sucked in a breath while Hoseok fidgeted in his spot. The golden boy nodded his head while I, the delinquent, had to be given a gentle push by the handsome teacher.

I begrudgingly followed Hoseok back to his desk. For a popular boy, I was surprised he didn't already have a partner. He had many friends around him all the time. There were so many to choose from yet here he was. All his friends working on the problems without him. Glancing at the boy's friends, I automatically grew suspicious. Something about them rubbed me the wrong way. The way they only paid attention to him outside of classwork was strange. I've met enough fake @ss people to spot them a mile away. It was just a feeling that I instantly shook off. There's no point in worrying for the boy who always looked so happy all the time.

What could possibly be going wrong in his life?

"Do you understand the first problem?" Hoseok tapped his feet under the desk. Was he excited to talk to me or something? It always looked like he had trouble staying still. He was always moving and causing a scene.

"Sort of," I mumbled. I didn't say anything after that. I blocked him out to work on the paper on my own. Hoseok continued to talk, oblivious to my silence.

I didn't care to start a conversation with him. He wasn't my favorite person in the world. Both him and Namjoon were really down in my list. Namjoon for multiple reasons, but Hoseok for the sh*t he tried to pull with (F/n) that one time. He wasn't leaving her alone and flirting like some f*cking creep. Then recently, (F/n) told me that Hoseok cheered her up. He got her into playing this little puzzle game. I don't really know how to take that. Is he genuinely a good guy or still trying to cause some trouble? I may be able to read fake people, but I generally don't trust anyone. Especially people who are popular.

People who are popular are all the same. I don't expect Hoseok to be any different. The second he stepped onto this campus, he stuck onto the people who were just like him. They always find each other. Though he likes to act like the golden boy, I wasn't going to let myself get tricked. Hoseok has already shown a creepy side towards (F/n). You can't blame me for being suspicious of him. It'd be best for everyone if this idiot who loves attention stays away from (F/n) and learns his place. He's popular and he should leave us alone.

Pausing on a problem, I stared at it without saying a word. Sh*t, I'm stuck. It's not like I'm going to ask for help. I'd rather get punched in the face than ask Namjoon for help. I know (F/n) wouldn't know the answer. She's great at everything, but math. Then Mr. Kim is getting hit on by a girl who has the third best grade in the class. She d*mn well knows the answer. Stop acting dumb and get away from the teacher who's beyond uncomfortable! This entire class annoyed the hell out of me. My blood was already boiling to feel Hoseok pumping his leg up and downright next to me. He was chewing on his pencil too. The only person who kept me sane in this class is partners with someone else. I'm going to f*cking kill someone.

"Am I annoying you?" Hoseok's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Apparently, I had been snarling at other students and almost broke my pencil. Hoseok stopped bouncing his leg, staring at me in quiet curiosity. He was afraid of me. I could tell. So why was he even talking to me?

"Yes. You are." I looked him the eyes. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"...not really, no." Hoseok frowned. He held his pencil tightly out of nerves. My eyes fell down to his paper to see he was already ahead of me. The hell? How'd he do that? "I was actually kind of hoping to hear—"

"You bullsh*tting your way through the paper?" I turned it over to have the paper facing me. My eyes scanned through it and my mind went blank. It looked like he knew what he was doing. Pursing my lips, I hated to think I would need help from this guy. Someone like him with a brain? Hoseok slowly gave me a weak smile as if he saw this as an opening to talk to me. It wasn't.

"Nope! I actually know what I'm doing which is nice!" Hoseok laughed and scooted closer to me. He pointed to his paper happily. His voice was so loud next to my ear that I almost fell over. His energy...he's definitely a lot to handle. "I asked Namjoon to send me a couple tips a few nights ago for the new unit! I tried teaching myself so I think I got the hang of it. Want me to teach you?"

"Can I trust you?" I immediately glared at him. Hoseok grinned, holding his hand up to show his sincerity.

"I'll let you kick me if I'm wrong."

I looked the boy up and down. Instead of bright as hell orange beanie, he wore an obnoxious yellow sweater today. With that smile on his face and his hand up in the air, I knew he was a complete idiot. At least with not knowing the right people to trust. His 'friends' are garbage. Then I'm not that great of a person either. He felt that confident in himself to offer such a deal? Well...who am I to stop him? As long as I get this stupid worksheet over with. Grabbing his hand, I shake it with less enthusiasm compared to him. Hoseok was bouncing in his seat for some reason.

"You better know what you're doing because I may be small, but I got a hell of kick." I warned.

"I got this." He smirked confidently.

Hoseok kind of sucked at explaining things. Our progress was really slow until it finally clicked inside my head. It was really confusing at first. Next thing I know, I understood completely. We began to zoom right through every problem without any issues. Things were actually fun working with Hoseok. Though he was very high energy, I started to feel it rub off on me in a good way. I normally feel even worse around people like him. They drain my energy and remind me of just how miserable I am in comparison, but I was pleasantly surprised. Hoseok made sure to share the happiness. We instantly became the loudest in the class.

The worksheet was done before we knew it. Easiest thing I've ever done! Hoseok and I high fived each other before laughing. No matter how hard I tried to keep my wall up, Hoseok continued to prove to me on just how good of a guy he was. I wanted so badly to find a flaw with him. Something that was reasonable to hate besides him being loud. His personality was strong and he sometimes lacked the ability to read the mood. Though those were his cons, I still found myself talking to him. I was laughing and opening up. It felt nice to not clam up in front of one less person.

Instead of Hoseok looking annoying in his yellow hoodie, he actually glowed. He felt like sunshine in this dark castle of a school. He was bright like (F/n). A comforting warmth that you want to appreciate. It was a weird change of opinion. He was suddenly on my good side and I questioned how good my judging skills were. I must have been blind to see this goofy idiot as an enemy. He's harmless as a fly! The only real problem with him I guess is that his flirting skills are the worst. He's too forward. And...I would prefer him not to flirt with (F/n). Though I doubt he's going to attempt that with me around.

"Jung Hoseok and Min Yoongi," Mr. Kim called out our names. The two of us smirked at each other. We already knew we did well. We might not have gotten a perfect score like Mr. Class President, but we certainly got passing. A decent grade.

Hoseok reached out for the paper with a big smile. Mr. Kim returned the friendly expression back as much as he could. His smile was a little off though. It wasn't the same one I would always see on his face. He coughed before returning to the rest of the papers. He called out other names as I walked back to Hoseok's desk. The popular boy had it folded in his hands. He motioned me to come closer as if he was showing me something secret. I was beginning to sweat with how much a big deal Hoseok was making this. Just open it, d*mn it!

"Give me that!" I snatched the paper from his hands.

"But I was going to have a big reveal!" Hoseok whined, trying to get it back. "I was gonna do a drum roll and everything!"

"I can't wait that long." I opened the paper. My eyes hardened as I stared at the red marks on the paper. Hoseok became silent now that it was too late. He stepped next to me, scanning the worksheet. This was graded and being added to our grade. "We're f*cked..."

"N-No." Hoseok shook his head. He grabbed the paper and winced at every red check. We got almost every problem wrong! What the hell were we doing in the first place then!? Tightening my hands into fists, I glared at Hoseok. He knew what he was doing? I huffed and Hoseok noticed my furious face. "I-I'm sorry...I really am."

"Sorry?" I tilted my head. I could feel the vein on my neck as I took a step closer to him. Other students in class looked away. They were convinced I was about to murder Hoseok.

"I thought...I was really confident! I really was, Yoongi!" Hoseok was shaking. His sad eyes fell down to the paper. His lips were drooping down and I paused on my frustration. He continued to remind me of (F/n) in little ways. "I asked Namjoon for tips and did my best. I was trying my hardest to keep my grade up on my own...now I so have a D in the class. I'm gonna f-fail—"

"Look. Hoseok—" I started.

"I'm gonna fail! Everything is going to be for nothing!" Hoseok's eyes were widening in panic. I froze to see his breathing quicken. He was crushing the paper in his hands without even realizing it. What's up with him? I ripped the paper out of his hands. Hoseok gasped and blinked at me when I pulled up his hood over his head.

"Get it together." I hissed.

"W-What?" Hoseok began to take regular breaths.

"You're not going to fail." I put my hand on his shoulder. "There's no way I'm failing and you're not going to either. I have a plan."

"You have a plan for me too?" Hoseok swallowed, listening closely.

"I do." I smirked. At that second, I could hear (F/n) squealing. My eyes traveled to her instantly. She was cutely bouncing about the grade she received with Mr. President over there. "Clear your plans for the day. We're going somewhere after school."


	11. Full House

Ch.11

Yoongi had a strange smile on his face during the entire lunch break. He said it was nothing as if he wasn't purposely making it. It left you feeling a bit unsettled if you were being honest. Yoongi normally kept things to himself, but you were suspicious. Then the other strange thing was the pair of eyes staring in your direction. It made you wildly uncomfortable to be stared at from across the cafeteria. It didn't take a genius to realize it was Hoseok who was looking at you. What was the big idea? The golden boy was ignoring his friends and watching you with a nervous gaze. A part of you felt tempted to tell him off. Everything was making you feel weird at the moment for some reason.

Either way, you tried to push through it. Today was just one of those days. Yoongi remained strange as he dropped you off for your last class of the day. He didn't leave your mind during class. By the time school had to come to an end, you were ready to forget all about it. It's not a big deal to begin with. That's when Yoongi came by to pick you up from your class. The smirk hadn't left his face the entire time. He barely made eye contact with you during the walk out of school. He continued to give you a strange feeling. Then you saw Hoseok standing outside of the building. He watched you, silently fidgeting with his orange backpack.

This is getting creepy and you don't like it. Yoongi didn't even notice the big frown on your face. The only reason you were keeping your sanity was for the fact that you were going to Namjoon's house after this. You wouldn't have to deal with a weird Yoongi on the bus. Eyes continued to watch you walk up to the school gates. What is Hoseok doing? You tried not to glance at him too much. Yoongi began to chuckle out of nowhere. He struggled to control his grin and people were staring at him. Standing in front of him, you felt so uncomfortable.

"Yoongi...what is going on with you?" You gulped.

"Oh...nothing at all." Yoongi shook his head. "Are you ready to go home?"

"I'm actually going to Namjoon's house. For tutoring," You stated. Yoongi's smile refused to falter. The corners raised slightly higher. He's smiling!? You grew alarmed, your heart started to pick up the pace.

"Right. How could I forget?" Yoongi tilted his head playfully. "He should be here soon."

"Hopefully," You muttered to yourself.

Yoongi had officially lost it. He looked like he was happily going to murder someone. Nervously biting your lip, you saw Namjoon coming out of the castle like building. He saw Hoseok and waved to the boy. The popular boy instantly became startled while the president was simply confused. You began to say your goodbyes with Yoongi as Namjoon made his way over. The two boys nodded at each other before Namjoon and you went off to his house. The second the two of you were out of ear shot, you released a heavy breath that you didn't even know you were holding in. Namjoon only raised a brow at you.

It didn't take long to arrive to his house. Mainly because you were speed walking the entire way there. Namjoon didn't understand the hurry. Maybe you were paranoid from today, but you could have sworn the both of you were being followed. It felt like eyes were watching your every move. Quiet footsteps delicately hiding away anytime you turned around. They knew you were paranoid. You thought about telling Namjoon, but you would only sound crazy. This entire experience was making you feel crazy and you hated it.

Namjoon opened his front door wide. Before he could say anything, you ran in to take off your shoes. You almost fell in the process, but that's okay! Namjoon furrowed his brows and slowly stepped in. It didn't help that you peeked through the windows. You scanned the outside for safety, but it looked calm. Nothing too off. Suddenly, you heard Namjoon clear his voice right behind you. When did he get there!? You jumped and got ready to fight. The president stared at your defensive form, trying to understand what's been going on with you.

"(F/n)...is everything okay?" Namjoon took a suspicious peek outside.

"Don't be obvious!" You whispered. Immediately, you rushed behind him to pull him away from the window.

"You're kind of scaring me right now!" Namjoon frowned.

"I didn't want to alarm you...but I think we were being followed." You pursed your lips to see his expression become tight. He didn't say anything for a couple seconds at first. Next thing you know, he was taking out his phone. "What are you doing? Are you calling for help?"

"If there's a creep around, I don't want Taehyung coming here. He's safer at school." Namjoon was quickly tapping at his phone. You stared at Namjoon, his eyes struggling to hide the worry he held for his little brother. "I have been hearing lately about a homeless man causing trouble around this neighborhood."

"I heard about that too." You felt your heart drop. Was it the homeless man? You could have sworn it was Yoongi or Hoseok planning to kidnap you. Or murder you. Something of that sort.

Then the doorbell rang. Namjoon stopped texting his brother in that moment. The two of you became stiff in fear automatically. Silence followed for a couple seconds. You nervously made eye contact with Namjoon as he swallowed. It couldn't be Taehyung. Taehyung comes home from school later and has a key. Plus, he would probably scream for Namjoon to open up already. Namjoon handed you his phone, motioning you to hide in the kitchen. What was he doing? You glanced at his phone's screen to see the emergency number dialed and ready to call. You felt jittery as you tiptoed to the kitchen, but you didn't hide. Instead you stayed by the doorway while Namjoon slowly unlocked the door with a tight fist.

He was on edge as your thumb hovered closer over his screen. You were ready to press 'call' if anything happened. Namjoon then pulled the door wide open. Flinching, you closed your eyes and hid into the kitchen. There was no sound at first before your ears were greeted with familiar voices. What? You peeked out from the kitchen to see Namjoon looking annoyed. He stared at the two boys who were welcoming themselves into his home. One was getting comfortable quickly while the other was awkwardly looking around.

"Are you serious!?" You huffed. You stormed over and returned Namjoon his phone. The two uninvited guests stared down at you. One waving quietly while the other smirked smugly. "Yoongi! What are you doing here and with Hoseok?"

"We just wanted to get some help from the president," Yoongi said as if it was obvious. Hoseok nodded his head behind him. Namjoon gave Yoongi an odd look at the mention of 'help'. "We figured, who better to help us succeed in math?"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Namjoon slowly narrowed his eyes on the boy with dyed hair.

"What do you think I'm saying?" Yoongi crossed his arms. The two boys glared lightly at each other to your dismay. With an annoyed sigh, you were about to step in to stop them from starting an argument. That was stopped the second Hoseok bounced between them with big pleading eyes.

"Namjoon-a! Please tutor me in math too!" Hoseok begged, grabbing Namjoon's hands. The popular boy stomped his feet like a child. Somehow, it didn't look demanding at all. Only desperate. Namjoon blinked in surprise before Hoseok fell onto his knees. "I can't fail math! Mr. Kim gave Yoongi and I a really bad grade on the project today! I'm so screwed and I don't understand anything! Namjoon-a!!!"

"Did you really have to tell him we failed?" Yoongi mumbled.

"Uh...Hoseok, get up." Namjoon glanced at you for help. This wasn't your problem. You also didn't have a clue on how to help. Hoseok seemed to have had a mental breakdown in front of everyone. Namjoon stood awkwardly as Hoseok clutched onto Namjoon's legs. "Please, get up."

"Help me. Help _us_. This includes Yoongi too!" Hoseok continued to stay glued to Namjoon. The tall boy tried taking a step away in hopes of escaping. That didn't work out. Instead, Hoseok pressed his face tightly against Namjoon's ankle. "Tutor us!"

"O-Okay, I will!" Namjoon bounced back, close to falling.

"Promise me!" Hoseok tugged the president's foot. Luckily, that gained Namjoon his balance again.

"I promise! Now get off!" Namjoon began to hiss in embarrassment. His face became pink while Hoseok rapidly came up onto his feet out of pure joy. Namjoon thought it was over, but Hoseok hugged him without missing a beat.

"You're the best!!" Hoseok gave him a bone crushing hug.

"Am I a joke to you?" Yoongi frowned. "Who set this up?"

"Let's just learn already!" Namjoon managed to yell out. Hoseok nodded his head, releasing Namjoon from the hug. Hoseok was so happy that he started dancing. He always seemed to dance anytime he got excited. Namjoon looked tired but pushed through. Yoongi stepped closer to you, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Perfect! In the kitchen then." You clapped your hands together. Hoseok immediately followed Namjoon into the different room. It looks like there would be company now in the future tutoring sessions. You didn't mind that too much. The only thing that bugged you was the way Yoongi and Hoseok did it. They didn't have to pull this creepy stunt. Yoongi was about to walk on by until you smacked his arm. The two of you bickered quietly. Why couldn't he have just asked Namjoon at school like a normal person? According to Yoongi though, Namjoon probably wouldn't have accepted and you weren't too confident to say that wasn't true. "Just get in the kitchen already."

"I was doing that." Yoongi walked in.

Things were going to be interesting from now on. All the boys knew that as they sat in the middle of Namjoon's kitchen. He sat across from you, center of the table with Yoongi to his right and Hoseok to his left. Namjoon nodded to himself, opening the textbook without saying anything. He would occasionally glance at Yoongi who was taking a look around. Yoongi almost looked like he was judging Namjoon's household. That was obviously getting on Namjoon's nerves. It only made the president fidgety the longer Yoongi stared. Then there was Hoseok who was happily humming, swaying his body side to side. Not to mention, the bubbly boy was swinging his feet and tapping them on the ground. He couldn't stop dancing in his seat for some reason.

Finally, there was you. Feeling an orange blaze go across your face. Pursed lips and hands stuffed between your thighs. You were also sweating an awful lot. It was strange to see all three of them in a room together. Close and interacting. They were all so different that you couldn't imagine them getting along at all. The class president, the delinquent, and the popular boy. Yet despite that, Namjoon didn't mind Hoseok's presence too much. There was also the fact that Yoongi brought Hoseok here. They didn't seem to mind each other that much anymore. It was only Yoongi and Namjoon if you were being honest. Plus...you were still in a weird place with Hoseok.

"So, we should probably go over the paper Mr. Kim gave us in class." Namjoon closed the textbook. "I feel like that's the perfect place to start for today."

"Yes, please!" Hoseok sat up straight, putting a pause to his dancing.

"Does that sound good, (F/n)?" Namjoon looked over at you.

"What about my opinion?" Yoongi interrupted. Your eyes traveled over to him and you did your best not to groan in frustration. What was he trying to start?

"I'm only asking because (F/n) and I did well on it together." Namjoon had a passive aggressive tone. "What did you get again?"

"I see your point, President." Yoongi crossed his arms. "No need to rub salt in an open wound."

"Not my intention at all." Namjoon's eyes never left the delinquent as he pulled out the paper from class. Sighing, you felt tempted to give the two of them a little talking to. They were both here. Maybe you could finally get them to understand that there was no reason to be on edge with one another.

"Salt only kills slugs. You'll be fine, Yoongi-ya." Hoseok chuckled all of a sudden. Yoongi scoffed in amusement, raising a brow at the boy in a large yellow hoodie. "And come on, Namjoonie, go easy on us. I'm sure we'll be just as smart as you with a couple of your lessons soon enough."

"...thank you for believing in my teaching skills." Namjoon smiled.

"I'm ready to learn! Right, Yoongi?" Hoseok grinned, leaning over the table. "We'll show Mr. Kim he had nothing to worry about!"

"He never had anything to worry about!" Yoongi's face became determined. "We'll f*cking ace this class!"

"Of course, you guys will!" Namjoon slammed his paper on the table. "You guys will get this down in no time!"

"Hell yeah!" Hoseok threw his fists in the air.

And you sat in silence with wide eyes.

Jung Hoseok, you f*cking genius. Somehow you were blind to see it. Hoseok is the bridge between Yoongi and Namjoon! The two were slowly getting fired up before Hoseok stepped in. It was like you were witnessing Hoseok perform magic. His charm soothed both boys and calmed them down. Hoseok started with Yoongi's naturally dark humor and assuring him as a friend. Once it went to Namjoon, Hoseok gave him advice and finished it off with a compliment. He got the two of them to get excited and filled them with determination. Now he was shining like a ball of light as Namjoon started reviewing the first problem. You need to take notes from Hoseok.

Before that, you had to focus on what Namjoon was saying. You needed to have this in your head for the next test. Sometimes you would think you know something, but it turns out you would only know it when you were working with Namjoon. Luckily, tutoring was going pretty smoothly with the new students. Hoseok did get distracted often. He would request snacks, make jokes, or ask for a stretch break. Then Yoongi would get frustrated any time he didn't understand anything right away. Namjoon would look at you and you only gave him a supportive smile. He had this! And he did. Namjoon worked with them all patiently, showing more understanding to them then they would have expected. They didn't think the strict male would be like that.

"That covers the last problem of the worksheet," Namjoon said. He lifted his eyes from the paper as you stretched your arms in the air. "Is there anything you guys want me to go over again?"

"I'm good," You stated.

"Next time, I want to be your partner for classwork!" Hoseok whined.

"Hey, I need an A too." Yoongi turned to face Namjoon. "You have to be my partner once too."

"Guys, seriously?" Namjoon held back laughter.

"Or I can always be partners with (F/n). That sounds good to me too." Yoongi looked over at you. He gave you a small smile and you gave him one back.

"Always is a bit much," Namjoon muttered.

"Why do you care?" Yoongi rolled his eyes.

"I'm only—" Namjoon's face turned bright pink. With attention suddenly brought on him, he stumbled out of his seat but was caught by Hoseok. Yoongi laughed while you gasped. At least he didn't get hurt. Hoseok quickly shushed everyone in the room from making a sound. What was wrong? Everyone became silent enough to hear someone at the front door. They put in the key, turning the knob, and laughter could be heard behind the door. Namjoon stood up and groaned, knowing full well on who had arrived. Yoongi and Hoseok remained curious and lost. Since Namjoon had gotten up to block the doorway into the kitchen, Hoseok got up to check what was going on. You followed only because you wanted to say hi and Yoongi only went up because you did.

"I'M HOME!!" Taehyung came inside with a little friend following behind him. The sun was starting to set behind him, but Taehyung closed the door. It was at that moment that Taehyung noticed all the shoes by the door. "No way...hyung, do you have more friends over!?"

"I'm tutoring." Namjoon shook his head before storming over to the puppy. "Why are you home so late?"

"Why are you so mad? I was with my friend, waiting until his dance class was over." Taehyung pouted. The said friend turned bright pink in embarrassment. He noticed the rest of you by the doorway, silently watching him. He looked like a baby chick, cute and precious. He held a large bag that looked like it weighed twice his size. He was thin with his hair neatly brushed back. He wore a white shirt and black tights.

"S-Sorry..." The boy bowed, but Namjoon only shook his head.

"It's fine, Jimin." Namjoon ruffled the boy's hair. He was shy but seemed comfortable with Namjoon.

"You should have been there, Hyung! I was watching Jimin's dance class and he was doing all these cool lay seconds turns!" Taehyung threw his hands in the air. Namjoon ran a hand through his hair as if this was stressing him out. You felt interested in hearing the story Taehyung had to share. Hoseok appeared to feel the same way. He wanted to walk over, but Yoongi was whispering for him to not bug the children.

"Á la seconde turn," Jimin quickly corrected nervously. Mainly because Hoseok was bouncing his way over. Yoongi had given up and was only shaking his head at this point.

"I hope you weren't bothering his class." Namjoon frowned at his brother. Taehyung's smile vanished and he stomped his foot.

"I wasn't! I stayed still and would occasionally join in!" Taehyung defended himself.

"Do we pay for dance classes? Taehyung, you shouldn't—"

"So you like dancing??" Hoseok pushed himself into the conversation. His eyes were huge and sparkling as he eyed Jimin. The baby chick flinched, his voice getting caught in his throat. Yoongi had enough and walked over to pull Hoseok back. You rushed over as well to make sure Yoongi didn't harm his new friend.

"Don't scare the children with your overbearing personality." Yoongi hissed.

"Was not! I love to dance myself!" Hoseok huffed.

"Wow...hyung has some interesting friends." Taehyung giggled.

Everyone became quiet. Namjoon stopped sighing and scolding his little brother. Now that the two middle school students had stolen the attention of his students, he quit fighting back. Yoongi let go of Hoseok's hoodie and eyed the children. Hoseok then carried the same amount of excitement that Taehyung was holding. The two of them look starry eyed. Taehyung wanted to get to know his brother's friends and Hoseok muttered how adorable the two were. He also kept mentioning dance to Jimin in hopes of using that to get the shy boy to talk to him about his interests.

"I'm Jung Hoseok by the way!" The popular boy pressed his hand up to his chest.

"I'm Kim Taehyung!" The puppy bowed.

"P-Park Jimin!" The baby chick followed his friend's actions.

"Min Yoongi." He only stared down at them. Taehyung pointed out in excitement that Yoongi's hair was dyed. He thought it was super cool and that got Yoongi to chuckle. Namjoon was not a huge fan of that.

"Cha (F/n)." You lightly bowed.

"Oh! Noona, can Jiminie call you Noona too?" Taehyung tilted his head. Immediately, his friend turned bright pink in the face. He flushed and whispered for him to stop. Yoongi was amused while Hoseok seemed to have an idea after you gave Jimin permission.

"You guys can call me hyung if you want!" Hoseok grinned. "I don't have any siblings, but I always wanted a little brother!"

"They're not that great." Namjoon laughed. Though Taehyung and him were siblings, you still felt bad. You looked over at Taehyung's face, noticing how stiff his smile became.

"Don't be an @ss to your little brother," Yoongi said. Namjoon froze, smacking Yoongi's shoulder in the blink of an eye.

"Don't swear in front of them!!" Namjoon panicked.

"He just said @ss." Taehyung shrugged with a pout. Namjoon's face became pale as a sheet of paper to hear that word leave the puppy's lips. Even you were slightly horrified. Middle school is typically around the time most people begin to swear, but you hated seeing it leave the sweet boy's mouth.

"Aw hey now, don't repeat those words." Hoseok shook his finger. "You don't really know what it means. You'll get in trouble if you go around saying those words without thinking."

"...you should listen to him." Jimin nudged his friend.

"Sorry." Taehyung frowned. "We'll be in my room then."

"Sounds good. We have to go back to studying..." Namjoon put his hands back on his hips. He eyed all the high school students in the room who got distracted by the children. You nervously smiled back while Hoseok whined that he didn't get to talk about dance with Jimin. Yoongi turned around, heading back into the kitchen. Taehyung started going up the steps as Jimin slowly followed after like he had something on his mind. Namjoon patted Hoseok's back and walked to the kitchen. Once the president disappeared, the baby chick turned around on the steps with flushed chubby cheeks. Hoseok stared up at the small boy, trying not to scare him off again.

"...I-I like to dance. I do ballet, contemporary, and lyrical f-for the most part...okay, bye!" Jimin turned around, running after Taehyung. Hoseok let out a little laugh and started heading back and you followed him to join the rest.

"I should teach him how to do hip hop. I think he'd like it." Hoseok had a pep to his step.

"Maybe."


	12. Blinded Logic

Ch.12

Having to deal with three boys all the time is draining. It's been a new experience that you didn't expect to gain when coming to this school. They're all very real with how they present themselves to you. The honesty was something you appreciated. Except that all of them had very strong personalities. It wasn't just Yoongi that you hung out with at school anymore. It was interesting to adjust to the sudden addition of new friends. Even Yoongi was trying to deal with it. He was used to hanging out with you alone and now there were others constantly around you as well.

When you arrive to class early with Yoongi, Hoseok quickly comes over to the both of you. He does most of the talking and is always excited about something new. He's always mentioning that you guys should see him dance sometime. Luckily with Hoseok, Yoongi doesn't mind having him around. Sometimes Yoongi will set the boy straight by making him shut up or telling him not to eat lunch with his old friends. That was something Yoongi and you both noticed. His old friends felt fake and Yoongi didn't want Hoseok hanging around them anymore.

Hoseok was confused, but never questioned it. Having Hoseok away from his old friends only meant that he hung around you and Yoongi a lot more. There were times when he would send light flirts your way to which you would quickly shut down. Plus, Yoongi gave him an instant glare and not so mumbled threats. You were fine with Hoseok, but you preferred not to be alone with him. It felt awkward since the two of you still haven't mentioned the whole panic thing you had way back and the little fight you had about Namjoon's humor. You didn't want to shove it under the carpet, but it looked like Hoseok might have.

Lastly, there was Namjoon. He focused on his responsibilities as class president and made sure to balance it with his job as a tutor. He also added something else to the mix. That included being your friend as well as Hoseok's. Namjoon would sit in the windowsill next to you and Yoongi. He would occasionally make conversation and then get bothered by Yoongi's little comments. The two of them were only mildly annoyed with each other. They tried their best not to be rude to one another. Especially with you around to scold them, not that you had to do that often. Hoseok seemed to keep them under control without them even realizing it.

It all started literally the day after the first tutoring session. Hoseok kept looking at Yoongi and you during Mr. Kim's class, but he never talked to you guys. It was really strange. Yoongi only told you to ignore him. Then when it was around lunch, you met up with Yoongi by the windowsill as usual. He was sitting against the window, clutching his stomach. You rushed to give him the lunch you made for him. You constantly worried for Yoongi and he thanked you right away for making his food. He opened it up, eating it up like you were the best chef in the world.

"Thank you so much!" Yoongi smiled at you, his cheeks full of rice.

"It's nothing." You chuckled. Yoongi was about to say something else until he saw someone behind you. His happy expression vanished instantly and he swallowed all the rice. You turned around, bewildered with his sudden change in attitude. The person standing behind you stood tall with his neatly pressed uniform and gelled back hair.

"I don't mean to interrupt..." Namjoon pursed his lips.

"Then go—"

"Not at all!" You shouted to cover Yoongi's voice. Namjoon still heard it, but you hoped he would ignore it.

"I only wanted to talk about my rules with tutoring with you guys. Now that we have more people—" Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do your parents have a problem with it?" Yoongi took a bite of chicken.

"Them? No, they don't have a problem with it..." Namjoon shook his head as he stared at the ground. He was silent for a few seconds. Then his lips parted to speak again.

"No fair!! You guys are all having a meeting without me!!" A loud voice from across the cafeteria yelled. Heads turned to see Hoseok standing up from his regular table. He hopped out, running over to the three of you in excitement. He slapped Namjoon's back and grinned at you and Yoongi. "What am I missing?"

"Only going over the rules in my house," Namjoon said and Hoseok's mouth turned into an 'o'.

"Alright, just tell us now that we're all here." Yoongi sighed, leaning against the window.

"As I was saying—"

"Woah! That's such a cute lunch box, Yoongi! Did your Mom make you lunch?" Hoseok bounced.

"I made his lunch." You smiled.

"Hey, I was speaking—wait. What?" Namjoon looked over to Yoongi and you.

"Don't worry about it." Yoongi waved off their questions.

You now had two more friends at the school. It somehow made you look forward to school a little more. There was Yoongi who would constantly talk about music with you. He would also bring up his dark humor and sarcasm to the chats. Namjoon who helped you survive each math class and showed you so much kindness. He was incredibly sweet to you and handled Hoseok's intensity a lot better than Yoongi. At least that's how you saw it. Hoseok and Namjoon got along a lot better in your opinion because Yoongi still clung onto you. Despite going to tutoring with Yoongi after school now, he still preferred keeping you to himself at times.

Like now for example.

"She's my girlfriend, Hyung." Yoongi sighed in annoyance.

"You saw the way that guy looked at her? What the f*ck is his deal!?" Jinyo continued to hold you in a tight hug. He petted your head as if you were a small child that needed to be protected.

What happened was not that big of a deal. Creepy, but you were fine. It all started with Yoongi bringing you back to Midnight Measure. He snuck into your room, brought you over on his bike, and you were now wide awake at one in the morning. The two of you came inside the warm and dark room. Right away, you saw the three familiar faces Yoongi always dropped you off with when he went off to perform. Before you could be properly passed along, an older man with a bandana wrapped around his head looked you up from head to toe. It made your skin crawl. The fact that he bit his lip too got Yoongi pissed, but not as much as Jinyo it appears.

"I'll beat his @ss." Jaegyu suggested, cracking his neck already. Your eyes widened to hear that. Out of the three gentlemen, Jaegyu looked the most capable of committing murder. He had a strong build, an intimidating glare, and a bunch of tattoos covering scars with many fight stories behind them.

"Aren't you still on probation?" Junsuh raised a brow.

"Excuse me?" Yoongi frowned.

"He's joking!" Jaegyu shoved Junsuh to the side. Though Junsuh didn't speak often, he always had time to tease his friends. He smiled to himself while Jaegyu huffed. "That was when I was a teenager!"

"But please kill him." Jinyo squeezed you tighter. "I can't let (F/n) out of my sight now. Not with that f*cking creep out there thinking he can still be a respectable rapper down here."

"Can I go to Yoongi oppa?" You asked, your voice slightly muffled. Jinyo looked down at you with pursed lips. Over the time of knowing him, you've come to see how much of a total softie he is. Not only is he Yoongi's number one fan, but he's overprotective over him and now for you too. Junsuh lightly nudged Jinyo, quietly telling him to let you go. Thankfully, he listened. You were released and Yoongi immediately grabbed your hand to tightly hold.

It took a lot out of Jinyo not to tell Jaegyu to go after the man. You promised them that you were fine. It wasn't a big deal. The three of them nodded before going to the backstage room to get it ready for a 'lady'. That gave you some time to talk to Yoongi alone. He was going to be doing a freestyle battle today. It was making him nervous the entire ride here. When he woke you up, he was already sweating and telling you how it wasn't his specialty. He liked writing his work first, but he wanted to get out of his comfort zone. Good for him!

"You got this, you know that?" You smiled at him.

"Like hell I do." Yoongi scoffed to see your angry expression. He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Thanks for your support."

"You really are talented, Yoongi." You refused to let go of his hand. The wine haired boy remained still under the blue flashing lights. It's not like you were lying. You were telling him the truth and Yoongi struggled to keep eye contact with you. He kept looking away as he cleared his throat. "I mean it. I see how hard you work to the point where you don't even sleep. Even if you don't win this battle, that doesn't mean you don't know your stuff. For your age, you're a genius here compared to all these guys."

"...that's a lot of compliments I don't deserve." Yoongi shook his head, but slowly began to smirk. "Genius? I like that though."

"You deserve every single one. Even more." You grinned, watching Yoongi get pink in the face.

"Kiss her already!" A familiar voice whined. At that point, Yoongi and you froze up and snapped your heads in Jinyo's direction. He was watching with a frustrated face.

"H-Hyung! Shut the hell up!" Yoongi covered his face with his hand. His fingers loosened their hold arounds yours and slipped out of your group. Jaegyu pointed out to Jinyo that he ruined the moment. Your heart was beating wildly. Pretending to be Yoongi's girlfriend down here always messed with your emotions. Kiss? You've never even had a boy like you back! There's no way you're going to think about kissing anyone any time soon. Though you loved Yoongi, you did so more as a best friend kind of way.

With a flushed face, you followed the bickering men into the back room. They had the couch all cleaned up and ready for you to sit on. Normally, you would sleep on it and then they would wake you up once it was Yoongi's time to perform. Just right now you were too bashful. You eventually calmed down from the embarrassing moment. Now that you were starting to feel tired, you were just going to take a quick power nap. Resting your head on one of the couch cushions, you closed your eyes and listened to Yoongi explain how he writes songs to his three hyungs.

"I make my chorus's sixteen bars and the verse typically 8 bars..." Yoongi's voice began to fade.

You fell asleep before you knew it. You had to be really tired to fall asleep in this noisy place. When you felt someone nudge you, you realized Yoongi was about to go on. Junsuh was staring at you quietly with a smile. He had been keeping an eye out for you while Jinyo was watching the crowd. Jaegyu appeared to be the messenger between them. Stretching your arms out, you walk out of the back room to join the three men in the crowd. Yoongi had been stressing out about this performance all night. The MC was talking to the crowd and you felt yourself waking up completely.

Yoongi had walked onto the stage with another competitor. Remaining quiet, you watched as they were given a simple beat to flow on. It was slow and had the audience waiting. According to Jaegyu, the guy Yoongi was going up against had a good reputation. He always did well on the free styles. Biting your lip, you internally rooted for Yoongi when he started it off. He did his best make his voice sound confident. Yoongi always did have a strong stage presence so he had that working for him. Jinyo, Jaegyu, and Junsuh were a little more vocal with their support towards the slender boy.

Once Yoongi had finished, the lights began to travel over to his opponent. The guy took off his hood and your felt a pit at your stomach. The winner was definitely going to be him. Yoongi swallowed hard as the guy easily started doing complex lines. A lot of the things leaving his mouth were word play. He bounced off words that shared the same sounds and got the crowd pumped up. Under the hot stage lights, Yoongi was sweating. Even in his eyes, he knew he hadn't won the battle. You hoped this wouldn't bug him too much.

"Give it up for Gray and Suga!" The MC came out. He clapped before following with the usual procedures. It's always the crowd that decides the winner of the battles. The stage lights returned to a white color as the MC held his arm out in Yoongi's direction. You and the three fanboys cheered as loud as you guys could for Yoongi. The redheaded boy looked over at the four of you with a grateful smile. No matter how hard you screamed, it didn't deny the fact that most of the room was for Gray. Yoongi nodded and got off the stage. Right away, Jinyo started pulling you towards the back room. Junsuh and Jaegyu were trailing behind you guys but paused the second all of you saw Yoongi making his way over.

"Hey little bud!" Jinyo rushed over to hug him, but Yoongi shook his head. "Awe...I just wanted to congratulate you."

"It's fine." Yoongi sighed, making you frown. Jaegyu glanced at Junsuh, awkwardly fidgeting to the side of you.

"You good, Suga?" Jaegyu questioned. "It's only three in the morning."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna call it a night now." Yoongi walked over to grab your hand. He squeezed it tightly and you noticed how sweaty his palm was. His fanboys looked sad to hear that from the delinquent. They quietly stared at him as the MC's voice boomed in the background, introducing another pair of rappers onto the stage. Eventually, the fanboys said goodbye and told you guys to get home safely. Yoongi didn't say anything as he took you out of Midnight Measure. His pace was a lot faster than usual. You were looking around, trying not to bump into anyone as Yoongi brought you towards the exit. He had his hood flipped up and you quickly pulled up yours. Stepping out into the moonlight, the cold air immediately hit your cheeks. Yoongi accidentally bumped into someone barely entering Midnight Measure. They wore a white hoodie and accidentally got Yoongi to release your hand.

"My bad..." They muttered, but Yoongi ignored him as he went straight towards his bike. You bowed your head at the guy as he stepped inside. You didn't have time to look back at him with the way Yoongi was acting.

"Yoongi!" You shouted. He put on his helmet and sat down. For a second, you thought he was going to leave you. He obviously didn't, but he wasn't okay either. Yoongi turned to face you and held out a helmet for you. "...are you okay?"

"Just tired. Let me take you home already." Yoongi's voice was weak.

His voice was begging you to take a seat. It was the first time you saw Yoongi brought down by life. Anytime an obstacle would come into his life or negative situations came by, he would only respond in anger. It was very easy for Yoongi to get annoyed. He would swear, fight, or become defensive. A heavy sigh left Yoongi as you took the seat behind him. Wrapping your arms around Yoongi, you panicked when he started to drive off right away. Almost like he wanted to get out of here more than anything in the world.

Clutching onto Yoongi tightly, you pressed your face against his back. He was speeding through the streets like a madman. You highly doubt he was following the speed limit at this point. With one eye open, you saw everything move past you in a blur. Yoongi wasn't in the right mind to be driving so recklessly. Sitting up straight against him, you looked over his shoulder to see the streetlight turn red. Yoongi wasn't slowing down as he got closer. What was he doing!? The engine of the motorcycle only got louder as you saw a large truck going straight on its own path.

"Y-Yoongi!!" You screamed. "Stop! STOP THE BIKE RIGHT NOW!"

Yoongi ignored your screams like your voice matched the chilly wind harshly blowing against the both of you. The headlights on the truck grew brighter as the bike passed the intersection. The driver's eyes widened inside the truck to see two teens in front of him. For a second, you felt like your life flashed before your eyes. The loud horn and tires screeching too late against the asphalt. All Yoongi could do was push his bike to the limit. While the truck kept going on its way in the dimly lit streets, the two of you drove off into the dark neighborhood.

"(F/n)?" Yoongi called out as the motor became quiet. He was driving slowly as your heart pounded, in shock that it was still beating.

"T-Take me home. And don't pull that sh*t again!" You screamed, hitting his shoulder. Yoongi didn't respond as if he felt like he deserved it.

He turned on your street and made his way to your house. You were trembling with your arms clinging onto him for dear life. That was too scary. All your emotions were jumbled and it was impossible to think clearly. The bike came to a stop in front of your home and you let out a shaky breath. The freezing air pricking at your entire body that was on fire. Yoongi got off his bike to look at you. His lips were pursed and his eyes filled with the regret. His hot breath appearing in the air and his knuckles milk white. But the both of you were teary eyed.

"...what's wrong?" You heard yourself say.

"Are you really asking me that?" Yoongi furrowed his brows as he stepped closer to you. He raised his hand, gingerly touching the side of your warm cheek. "I could have f*cked up everything for you...I'm so sorry..."

"Why were you speeding? You weren't listening to me at all," You stated as his eyes drifted down to the ground. "I doubt it's all about the freestyle competition."

"Go to your room. It's cold out here and you need your sleep," He whispered, patting your shoulder.

"Come into my room," You demanded. Yoongi's eyes met yours again in surprise. When you said that, you meant it. Yoongi hesitantly followed you towards the pipeline and crawled up to your bedroom right after you.

Yoongi carefully placed his feet onto the carpet of your room. The second he was inside, he quietly closed the window behind him. You entered your closet to change into comfortable sleeping clothes. When you left the closet, you spotted Yoongi sitting at the edge of your bed. His fingers were curling into your blankets and his eyes repeatedly traveled over to your window. He wanted to run off and to keep his feelings secretive. You weren't letting the boy with red hair do that. The two of you could have almost died for whatever was blinding his logic.

"Yoongi...tell me the truth." You took the spot next to him.

"...sorry for running a red light like an idiot." Yoongi shook his head, letting it fall into his hands. The boy groaned at his actions

"We're still alive...somehow." You tried to find some humor in the situation. It got Yoongi to relax slightly. His shoulders became less tense as he turned to face you.

"(F/n)..."

"Tell me."

"Don't worry about me." Yoongi frowned. "It's only home issues that are causing problems with my hobby...I only put a lot of hopes in winning that competition because...I told myself if I won it then I should keep going."

"Do your parents know about this?"

"Not really..." Yoongi admitted. "Eomma knows I love music. She knows I write and sometimes produce songs, but she's not a big fan. She doesn't know that I go to Midnight Measure at all."

"And your Dad?" You see his eyes flash in anger.

"He's gone. He doesn't matter anymore." Yoongi gritted his teeth. That told you his father was a topic to avoid for future reference.

Nodding to yourself, you made a simple decision. Yoongi fell back on the bed the second you jumped him with an aggressive hug. He stared down at you in complete confusion, but you made it clear what your intentions were. He's no longer going to hide any of his feelings from you if they're going to make him do crazy sh*t. You're his friend so of course you care about him and you want to know what's going on with him. Yoongi is the first good friend you've ever had. You don't want to lose him to anything. So you made Yoongi promise that you wouldn't lose him. He would always be with you.

The two of you stayed in a tight hug for a couple minutes until he felt better. With that, you wished him a good night. He left through the window and made his way down to his bike. You peered through the window to watch him get on his bike. Yoongi kicked up his bike stand and clipped on his helmet. Almost as if he knew you were watching, he looked back up at your window. You waved with a smile while he only winked. He drove off immediately after that, leaving you with a light blush spread across your cheeks. Your fake boyfriend can be quite the tease.

Hopefully though...he'll be safe and okay.


	13. Little Conflicts

Ch.13

Yoongi was doing his best to be completely truthful with you. It was something he had to let himself get comfortable with. After everything that happened last night, he told you that he wanted to focus on producing a new song. Something better than everything he's done in the past. Good for him. As long as he doesn't push himself too far then. He's admitted to his home not being rap friendly. His mom enjoyed music, but only classical songs made by famous names. That's the main reason Yoongi takes piano lessons frequently. When he has lessons, he can't make it to tutoring even though he'd much rather be with you and the guys then his strict teacher. Overall, Yoongi did like the piano.

Today was one of those days. It was during lunch that Yoongi told everyone he wouldn't be showing up to tutoring. Namjoon was leaning against the wall, no longer seated in the windowsill next to you guys. Then Hoseok was making his way over with his lunch. His old friends tried catching his attention, but he ignored them. Good. Hoseok has taken the advice to avoid them. His old friends easily showed their true selves anytime they didn't get something they wanted. The second Hoseok passed them without a care, they swore and rolled their eyes. They're spoiled rich students is what they are.

"I'm here! What'd I miss?" Hoseok sat down in front of the windowsill.

"It's just going to be the three of us for tutoring again," Namjoon stated.

"Piano lessons." Yoongi shrugged.

"Oh...speaking of tutoring..." Hoseok chuckled nervously. Immediately, Namjoon narrowed his eyes on his friend. Hoseok began to the rub the back of his neck under your confused gaze. "I'm ditching today."

"It's not ditching if you tell him." Yoongi pointed out.

"I was being courteous!" Hoseok pouted.

"What do you mean you're ditching?" You questioned in shock. Hoseok has never skipped out on a lesson. No has besides Yoongi and he has reasons for it. Namjoon listened in, waiting for proper answers.

"Well, I'm going to dance with a local crew. We're just planning on having a huge cypher." Hoseok grinned. "You guys should come! All of you would love to see my awesome dancing skills!"

"Can't. Piano," Yoongi said flatly. Hoseok looked over at Namjoon and you with big eyes.

"I'm tutoring, Hoseok." Namjoon sighed.

"And I'm getting tutored." You brought your drink up to your lips.

"Well that sucks...but I promise I'll be there for tutoring tomorrow!!" Hoseok shouted. He bounced in his spot, happily holding up his sandwich.

"Good. You need it." Namjoon teased, earning a light glare from the popular boy.

"What about you?" You looked at Yoongi who quietly nodded. He pulled out his phone and you knew right away he would be texting you.

While Hoseok ate his food, Namjoon returned to the windowsill next to you guys. His backpack was placed on the ledge and he pulled out that tiny green spiral he always did. Even Yoongi and Hoseok had noticed its regular appearance. They never bothered mentioning it though. Both of them probably thought it was something school related. It could be. You never really figured out exactly what Namjoon was hiding. You glanced down at your phone to see the message Yoongi had sent you. The boy in real life looked away from you and sighed.

**Yoongi **🐯

**Yoongi **🐯  
This song is taking me forever to write.  
I'll probably leave tutoring tomorrow early...  
Sorry

**You**

Don't worry about it

You can do this! 💜

**Yoongi **🐯  
...I'll let you be the first to hear it

**You**

REALLY

**Yoongi **🐯  
Girlfriend privileges  
Haha

**You**

Thanks, Oppa 💜

  
You turned to face Yoongi with a huge grin. He was still reading over the texts with a tiny smile. His eyes scanned the screen in amusement. Soon his eyes met yours and you could see him blushing lightly. The two of you often joke around about being a couple at Midnight Measure. Most people tend to think you guys are a couple anyway. Now that Hoseok and Namjoon have joined your friend group, you hear the rumor fading away. You're not dating anyone and to be honest, you really don't have the time for that. You need to focus on passing math. Plus, supporting Yoongi's dreams. Those are your main priorities at the moment.

It wasn't long before all of you finished up with your food. Everyone threw away their trash, talking about the tutoring session tomorrow. Hoseok wanted to talk to the two middle schoolers. He wanted to be a good hyung in their eyes, but Namjoon had no intention of inviting the children into the tutoring sessions. Yoongi didn't care too much as long as he passed math class. You thought Taehyung and Jimin were adorable. Namjoon continued to stay in a big brother mind set. He wasn't budging on the idea of mixing grades during his tutor sessions.

"I want to inspire them!" Hoseok threw his fist in the air. "Come on!"

"Inspire them how?" You raised a brow.

"Like...Like, I don't know!" Hoseok started turning pink.

"Leave the children alone." Yoongi crossed his arms.

"I just want to be their hyung!" Hoseok whined.

"I'm already Taehyung's real hyung." Namjoon shook his head. "And Jimin is too shy."

"He seemed fine with you," Hoseok mumbled.

"Yeah, because I've known him for years," Namjoon said. "He's practically been Taehyung's best friend since birth."

"That's so cute." You cooed. Namjoon looked at you and laughed at your reaction. You couldn't help yourself. Having a best friend for as long as they could remember? They're both extremely lucky. Yoongi paused in his steps all of a sudden. He's been quiet during most of lunch and now it looked like he had reached his breaking point. Hoseok and you stared at Yoongi in worry meanwhile Namjoon noticed the figure who had turned the corner. He stood in the hallway, surprised with the group of kids staring back at him. Yoongi's hands balled up into tight fists as silence fell upon the groupe. No one else moved besides the elder man whose eyes kept staring at the redheaded male.

"Good afternoon, Principal Yoo." Namjoon bowed.

The air grew awkward right away. Namjoon hadn't sensed it since he felt secure being in front of the principal. You didn't know how to feel. Principal Yoo was a nice guy, but your last interaction with him was a bit odd. Then Hoseok naturally looked nervous meanwhile Yoongi didn't bother to hide his scoff. Principal Yoo's face turned to Yoongi in disbelief. He ignored the bows Hoseok and you gave him out of courtesy. If Yoongi gets in trouble then you don't know what you'll do. He's already so shameless letting the principal know that he didn't like faculty.

"Min Yoongi," Principal Yoo started.

"Don't." Yoongi growled. At that instant, Namjoon's eyes widened and he gave the boy a warning.

"What are you doing?" Namjoon hissed.

"Are we in the way, Principal Yoo?" Hoseok stumbled to the side. He pulled himself together once the principal shook his head.

"It was nice seeing you!" You hoped that would get him to leave.

"Like wise." He smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. He looked at all of you with simple curiosity. "So, are all of you friends?" Your throat felt dry at this point. You've never had to deal with a Principal this involved with students before. Hoseok's eyes went to Namjoon who had already took the initiative of answering for everybody.

"We are. I mainly tutor all of them for math." Namjoon gestured at you guys. Principal Yoo was glad to hear that. He was seeing your effort and you felt yourself calm down.

"It's nice to see a class president so hard working. I wouldn't expect anything less from our top student." The principal nodded. Once again, his eyes went over to Yoongi. "I'm rooting for all of you to pass your math class."

"Thank you!" Hoseok and you quickly bowed.

"School is very important. It's a steppingstone in accomplishing your dreams." Principal Yoo stood with a prideful aura. Before he could go off on a tangent about why Sehwang Academy was the best, Yoongi muttered some rude words towards the authority figure. Oh no. Namjoon froze up in shock and this was the one time Hoseok wanted to be invisible. You pursed your lips, watching Principal Yoo turn to Yoongi with a frustrated expression. "Excuse me?"

"_F*ck. Off_. Did you not hear it the first time?" Yoongi took a threatening step forward.

"What is your deal?" Namjoon pulled him back.

"Apologize. Don't make it worse," You pleaded in whispers. Yoongi looked over at you, sighing but refusing to back down.

"Do you not agree with me?" Principal Yoo eyed the boy.

"It's a load of bullsh*t. You don't need school—"

"Without school, you'd be scrubbing toilets," Principal Yoo snapped. Yoongi glared at the man and shook his head defiantly. "Dreams are nothing without basic education nowadays."

"I hate this..." Hoseok whispered to you. He hid behind you and Namjoon, pinching Namjoon's sleeve out of fear.

"Yoongi didn't mean anything of what he said, Sir." Namjoon tried to ease down the tension. And that's when the question slipped the principal's mouth. What do you want to be when you graduate high school? Namjoon stared blankly at the man and swallowed. He didn't answer quickly to everyone's surprise. All of you looked over at him, waiting for his response. Slowly the cogs began to turn again and his lips moved. "...a businessman..." His eyes dull and unconnected with the small smile on his face.

"And you?" Principal Yoo's eyes went to Hoseok.

"Uh...I-I don't know yet." Hoseok frowned.

"Oh, that's no good. Figure it out soon." Principal Yoo smiled and looked at Yoongi one last time. "Make sure to be respectful when I am here as your principal. This is a warning, Min Yoongi." The rest of you looked over at the delinquent. Yoongi had his head turned the other direction. He refused to even acknowledge the principal at this point. The wall was more interesting to him. "The silent treatment? Fair enough. Good day then."

The principal walked past all of you. No one said a single word. It wasn't until after he was fully gone that you had realized you were holding your breath. What was that? Hoseok let go of Namjoon and rushed to Yoongi. The boy looked furious and exhausted. All his emotions from last night hitting him harder than before. You stared at the boy with sympathy and confusion. You knew Principal Yoo had his eyes on Yoongi, but this was getting weird. What did Yoongi do in the past to get this type of attention from that man?

Hoseok put his hand on Yoongi's shoulder and asked him if he was okay. The conversation all of you just had with the principal was an intense one. Namjoon let out a heavy sigh before facing Yoongi with an aggravated expression. Oh, please no more fighting. This was starting to become extremely draining for you to deal with. Namjoon lightly shoved Yoongi's shoulder to catch his attention. Luckily Hoseok made sure Namjoon kept his distance. Yoongi slowly lifted his head to make eye contact with Namjoon.

"What?" Yoongi questioned.

"Why would you swear at the principal? Are you asking for a punishment!?" Namjoon stomped his foot.

"Well, I meant it." Yoongi sneered. "He can f*ck off."

"You're f*cking crazy..." Namjoon ran a hand through his hair.

"I think we should all take a long walk! Something to cool down from that weird chat we just had!" You suggested. Namjoon and Yoongi looked at you, unsure if that would make them feel better.

"I agree! Come on guys! We got legs, might as well use them!" Hoseok started pushing the boys forward.

That conversation with the principal was the worst thing you ever had to experience. The others would probably agree. It wasn't something any of you needed to communicate about. During the walk around the school, Hoseok tried asking Yoongi what that was all about. Why was Principal Yoo so focused on him compared to the others? Yoongi didn't say anything at first. He walked in silence and Namjoon told the golden boy not to push it. But you saw the quick glance Yoongi gave you. The same one he gave you last night when he promised to be more truthful.

All of you slowed down when Yoongi opened up. He was a delinquent as most people knew. Rumors of his past were already a part of the school. He never bothered clarifying any of them and let people think what they wanted. But Yoongi wanted you guys to know the truth. He used to live in a completely different town and went to a bad middle school. There, he stood up against some bullies and got in fights with them that got physical. That was it. He had no f*cks to give, but then he moved to this town and entered this school. It's been a total 180 from what he's used to. The strong attitude he has now was hugely for his survival at his old school. If he showed weakness, he wouldn't have made it.

It explained a lot of things. Hoseok immediately gave Yoongi an unwanted hug. Shouting that Yoongi no longer had to pretend to be strong. You giggled as Yoongi gave up and let Hoseok hug him tightly. Meanwhile Namjoon appeared to become more understanding. He only said that he wished for Yoongi to adjust to this new lifestyle. There was no longer a need to hide his feelings for protection. You would have given a hug to Yoongi and agreed with Namjoon as well until you really thought about it. Yoongi explained his past. It made sense, but...that didn't necessarily answer Hoseok's question. What was his problem with faculty? Specifically, Principal Yoo?

You never brought it up. Yoongi changed the topic quickly and let Hoseok ramble on about random things. All of you soon parted ways for the last class of the day. You waved goodbye to them and soon you would be going to tutoring all alone again. It's been a while since you've had tutoring with Namjoon all alone. It wouldn't be as lively, that's for sure. Eventually school came to an end. Yoongi was waiting outside your classroom to walk you out. Soon Namjoon appeared, ready to take you to his house. Next thing you know, you hear someone shouting 'excuse me' and loud footsteps. All of you turned around to see Hoseok making his way over with a huge smile. Of course.

Yoongi and Hoseok waved to you guys when they had to go. Hoseok off to his dancing which he still wanted you guys to come to. Maybe later. Then Yoongi went home for his piano lessons. It was then only Namjoon and you. He was looking over his math notes and tried to decide what to do for the other two boys. Should he give them copies of his notes or write down the lesson he teaches to you in detail? You told him not to stress about it too much. Hoseok and Yoongi might not be there, but they were still a hundred times better at math then you were.

Namjoon continued to worry. By the time you guys arrived to his house, he had made the hard decision of giving them copies of his notes. The main reason he was so hesitant was because Hoseok learned better in person. He needed to see it visually and learn it in the moment. Not by himself either unlike Yoongi who could piece two and two together. You needed all the help you could get. Taking off your shoes, you walked off into the kitchen while Namjoon took pictures of his math notes. He sent them to the boys before sitting down at the table with you.

The lesson began as normal. He went at your pace and made sure you understood exactly what he was saying. You made sure to pay extra attention when Mr. Kim taught it. You only daydreamed once! Namjoon was proud of you for retaining so much of what Mr. Kim taught. For everyone in class, he goes at a decent pace. It's only a little fast for you, but you were keeping up. Your grade was a high C and you were confident that you would be getting a B in the class soon. Maybe you'll even go for an A, but you also didn't want to push your luck at the same time.

"Since he bought thirty watermelons—" Namjoon dragged his finger along the word problem.

"Okay, but who would buy thirty watermelons?" You huffed.

"It's not about that. Focus on the problem." Namjoon tried to get you back on track.

"But who!?" You shouted. That's when the front door slammed open and a tiny voice roared.

"I'M HOME!"

"Taehyung..." Namjoon groaned, getting out of his seat. The tall president walked over to his brother with a tired expression. Without wasting a second, you followed him to see the puppy happily wagging his tail at his brother's presence. The baby chick was with him too, fluffing its feathers to look presentable. Though the two were adorable, a tall eagle stared down at them with no joy. "You know you don't have to announce you're home every time, right?"

"I like to let you know!" Taehyung grinned.

"Well, tell me quietly next time. I'm in the middle of tutoring." Namjoon crossed his arms. He looked over Taehyung, inspecting the boy before taking in a breath. "You came home early for once."

"Yep! Jimin didn't have dance class today and we didn't play in the convenience store either." Taehyung nodded.

"We came straight here. My parents are reorganizing the shop." Jimin smiled. He didn't look nervous to be with the Kim brothers. Not even with you right by Namjoon's side. He would occasionally glance at you, but he appeared fine. Though he did play with his hair a lot to calm himself down.

"Where are the other hyungs?" Taehyung went on his toes to look over Namjoon's shoulder. That did him no good with the large height difference. The middle school students both appeared to be a little over five feet at most.

"They're not here. They couldn't make it," Namjoon said, putting his hands into his pockets. Taehyung started to smirk. Namjoon and you raised your brow at the little puppy. He chuckled as if he knew something you guys didn't. The baby chick looked just as confused as you guys.

"Oh I see...you just wanted to spend time with your girlfriend alone! Didn't you?" Taehyung grinned. Automatically, Namjoon turned bright pink at the accusation. You sighed and shook your head at the misunderstanding.

"You guys are dating?" Jimin tilted his head.

"N-No!" Namjoon became flustered.

"I'm just a friend!" You cleared up the air.

"For now!" Taehyung threw his fist up.

"Yah! Don't you have some homework to do? Go do it." Namjoon shoved the boy towards the stairs. Anything to get him out of the way. Taehyung didn't fight back and Jimin trailed behind his friend. You only giggled at the sibling interaction. Those two always seemed to be bickering at each other.

"Yeah, I have homework! But it's due next month." Taehyung started going up the stairs himself. Namjoon stayed at the bottom, making sure his brother kept going up. "We have to write an essay about our favorite hero like ironman and stuff!"

"That wasn't the project..." Jimin shook his head. Taehyung pouted, the two of them discussing what was actually assigned. "We have to choose a hero in our lives."

"Same thing!"

Namjoon turned to you as if he dealt with the most exhausting chore. He sighed, but quickly gave you a smile where his dimples prominently showed. It was time to continue studying! The tiny break was over. Tutoring continued until it was nearing six in the evening. Taehyung and Jimin ran down the stairs, laughing. Namjoon immediately scolded them to be careful or else they could get hurt. The two boys slowed down and entered the kitchen. At first, Namjoon and you weren't sure what they entered for. Did they want food? Taehyung and Jimin never looked at the fridge. Instead, they walked up to Namjoon quietly.

"I'm going home now...I'll most likely be coming back tomorrow with Tae again." Jimin bowed.

"You're more than welcome here, Jiminie." Namjoon smiled before looking out the window. He pursed his lips and stood up. "I'll walk you to the convenience store."

"Huh?" Jimin lifted his head in surprise. "Why?"

"It's getting dark and it's not safe. Come on." Namjoon nudged his head towards the front door. His eyes then connected with yours, giving you an apologetic gaze. "Sorry, I'll be leaving but I'll be back really quick. The store isn't too far away."

"That's fine." You didn't want Namjoon apologizing. He was doing the right thing anyway. There's been a homeless man causing issues in this neighborhood. Better safe than sorry.

"Can I come!?" Taehyung rushed to the door as Namjoon and Jimin stepped out. The baby chick waved to his friend as he held the president's hand.

"No, Tae. Keep (F/n) company while I'm gone." Namjoon closed the door. The second it shut in Taehyung's face, he started to groan and stomp his feet. You left the kitchen to witness Taehyung throw a fit. The puppy growled and whined, not happy that he was left behind. His tail was no longer wagging and his ears were drooping down.

"Didn't know hanging out with me was that awful," You said with a dramatic tone. Something to make the boy believe he had hurt your feelings. Taehyung immediately looked over at you. His face flushed, realizing that you had been judging him.

"N-Noona! That's not—no!" Taehyung ran over to you. He grabbed your hand and tried reassuring you that you were fun to be around. He wanted so badly for you to forgive him. It was adorable. You made sure to tell him that you were fine and that you appreciated the effort.

Though Taehyung would sometimes get on Namjoon's nerves, he had nice manners. You've never seen their parents at home so you figured Namjoon has done most of the work with Taehyung. The younger boy brought you over to the living room. Since you had packed up all your things and Namjoon was gone, Taehyung wanted to hang out with you for as long as he could. The boy was so talkative. He was spilling things that you doubt Namjoon would want you to know. Taehyung told you that Namjoon never had friends before and that you were his first. Was he exaggerating? It wasn't the first time he's said this to you.

Taehyung started telling you about how Namjoon and him were really close. The way he said it sounded like he was almost bragging about it. It was very cute to hear Taehyung tell you that Namjoon tells him all kinds of things. Though they might fight a lot, they had to be very close. The puppy continued to boast about Namjoon and you listened to every word. Soon Taehyung started talking about the time when Namjoon first met you. He apparently told Taehyung about you and you were surprised to hear that. He talked about you to Taehyung?

"I remember the first time he told me about you! We were at home and I was eating cereal, watching cartoons." Taehyung's box grin appeared. "Namjoon was at the table trying to write in his little journal but he couldn't. He kept staring at nothing so I told him to stop staring at dust! He got mad at me...then he mentioned this cute girl at school. At first I was like, cooties then—"

"Cute girl?" Your eyes widened. "Are you sure this was me he was talking about?"

"You're the only girl I've seen him with...I don't know." Taehyung shrugged his shoulders. "All he said was that there was this cute girl hanging around a guy he didn't trust. Namjoon didn't say much after that and started writing in his journal."

"Interesting...and his journal? Is that the green notebook?" You questioned. Taehyung's eyes lit up and he nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Yeah! You know about it? Here, let me go find it!" Taehyung jumped off the couch. Your giggles died down the second he said that. Find it? You felt horrified as he left the room to search for the private journal. What was he doing?

"No, Tae! It's okay!" You ran into the kitchen after him.

Taehyung had lifted Namjoon's backpack onto the table to unzip it. The boy ignored you as well as the sound of the front door opening up. He shoved his arm in the bag, trying to search for it with his tongue sticking out. You whispered for Taehyung to stop, but it was too late. Namjoon stepped into the room to see Taehyung going through his things. He became stiff in shock and Taehyung finally thought his actions through, realizing this didn't look so good. Namjoon gritted his teeth as he stormed over to roughly rip his backpack away from his younger brother. Taehyung flinched, stuttering that he was only trying to show you the green journal. Unfortunately, that didn't help Taehyung's case at all.

"You were what? Taehyung! You can't go grabbing other people's things without permission!" Namjoon yelled. "It's not something for you to share!"

"But you share it with me!" Taehyung fidgeted with his fingers. "H-How was I supposed to know that others—"

"Well, now I'm not showing anything to you anymore." Namjoon zipped up his backpack. "Go to your room."

"...you're mean!!" Taehyung stuck out his tongue and ran past his brother. He pushed Namjoon to the side, not trying to be subtle when he did it. Namjoon dropped his backpack on the ground with a heavy sigh. The air was tense and you were biting your lip, hoping that you didn't just ruin a bond between brothers. You felt awful. If you explain what happened then you're sure Namjoon will forgive Taehyung and patch things up with him.

"You really shouldn't be mad at Taehyung," You started. Internally, you screamed at the fact that you sounded like you were scolding Namjoon yourself. You didn't mean to! It's just the tone of voice you have. Namjoon was clearly taken aback by your words. He blinked a couple times before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry?" He frowned.

"Taehyung really meant no harm. He was only talking to me and brought up the journal you always write in. I asked if it was the green one and he just wanted to show me. It was innocent!" You explained. "He's your brother, Namjoon. It's not like he was planning something evil by showing it to me."

"...I've told him before. It's something extremely important and private to me." Namjoon looked down at the ground. Though this was getting into family territory, you still had to speak your mind. It's not like you could control it too much anyway. Most of your thoughts would slip out into words.

"You know...I understand that you guys are siblings. You'll patch things up, but I'm hoping you guys do it tonight because Taehyung was talking about you while you were gone. About how close you two are," You admitted to see Namjoon finally raise his eyes. You smiled as you spoke, "He sounded like he was bragging about having you as his brother. He really likes you, Namjoon."

"What else did he tell you?" Namjoon dug his hands further into his pockets.

"Um..." Your mind immediately went to the 'cute' girl thing. Namjoon became upset once he saw your face turn pink.

"Was it something embarrassing?" He took a step closer to you. This was a life or death situation. Pursing your lips, you started shaking your head way too much. Now you certainly looked guilty. D*mn it. You might have made it way worse for Taehyung. Namjoon tensed up, stepping closer to you. His voice was calm, but his eyes were panicked. "(F/n). What did Taehyung say?"

"No!" You started to run around the kitchen and that's how the chase began!

Namjoon slipped on the tile ground as you circled the kitchen table. He pushed himself back up, face flushed with the thought of what Taehyung could have revealed. You ran into the living room, screaming and trying to survive. You might have better balance than Namjoon, but his legs were a lot longer. He kept bumping into furniture while you took the extreme route by jumping over the obstacles. No matter how many times Namjoon yelled for you to stop, you wouldn't listen. The both of you were making so much noise that you guys didn't notice Taehyung peeking down the stairs. The boy curled up at the top of the staircase, watching between the rails.

You had snuck back into the kitchen to retrieve your items. You were going to make a break for it. Namjoon was panting heavily as he stood at the doorframe, a smirk on his face. He thought he had you trapped. Definitely not! You ran straight towards him, making him nervous. Just in time, you rolled under right between his legs into the entry room. Your shoes were next to the door and you only had to make a quick run for it. With all your might, you bolted straight towards your shoes to pick them up. That was your mistake.

All of a sudden, arms wrapped around your waist to lift you up into the air. You squealed as they carried you further away from the door.

"What did Taehyung say!?" Namjoon shouted.

"Nothing!!" You lied.

"I said you called her cute!" Taehyung's voice got the two of you to stop acting like wild animals. Namjoon's grip on you loosened and you stopped wriggling around. The president turned around, letting you see Taehyung poking his head between the rails. The truth was out there now. Namjoon released you before you could look at him over your shoulder.

"Y-You what!?"

"I mean, I thought it was...flattering." You tried to make it better. Taehyung snickered at his older brother's crumbling form.

"Oh my god..." Namjoon turned around, bringing his hands up to his hair. The president was burning in embarrassment. That confirmed Taehyung's words. So you're really the cute girl? Namjoon was freaking out until he remembered what you said. You considered it flattering. He quickly pulled himself together, acting as if he didn't just lose it for a second. Just like Taehyung had done earlier today with his fit. "F-Flattering you say?"

"Oooh, are you guys gonna kiss?" Taehyung grinned. "You can't be mad at me, Hyung! I got you a girlfriend!"

"We're not dating!" Namjoon felt tempted to run up the stairs to tackle the boy. Taehyung giggled, enjoying the moment now. "Tae, why would you tell her that?"

"...are you still mad at me?" Taehyung fingers nervously tightened around the rails. You glanced at Namjoon, watching the president shake his head and let out a sigh.

"I'm not mad, Tae. We just need to have a talk on what's personal." Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck. "You're a good kid. I know that."

"Aw. You guys should hug." You suggested to see the puppy's eyes light up. The puppy came running down the stairs, charging to his older brother.

"Maybe after—oh! Okay, now!" Namjoon stumbled back. He chuckled, staring down at Taehyung who hugged him so tightly. Namjoon slowly wrapped his arms around the boy to hug him back. Taehyung wouldn't stop smiling. Things returned back to normal and you were very happy about that. Taehyung thanked you by the time Namjoon decided to walk you back home. It had gotten dark out and Namjoon refused to let you go home by yourself. It was a sweet offer that you couldn't refuse. Especially due to the incidents happening around town lately.

Namjoon and you walked towards your house quietly. He hasn't really spoken to you since you guys left the house. Taehyung and him hugged for the longest time. Mainly because Taehyung didn't want to let go of his brother. It wasn't until Namjoon promised to buy ice cream on his way back that Taehyung bothered to unlatch. That left Namjoon and you to walk alone together with the both of you knowing that he thought you were cute. You could tell that was still stuck in his mind. His face was so easy to read that it made you want to laugh.

"I'll forget about it if you want me to," You offered.

"Yes, please." Namjoon sighed in relief. He stopped holding a straight posture and bent forward as if he had run a marathon. Was it really that bad? You did your best to hold back giggles.

As promised, you pretended that Taehyung never told you anything. It was really funny to see Namjoon so flustered. You haven't seen him this way since the first time he invited you to his home. He was all over the place. Stumbling over his sentences and the furniture. Namjoon didn't say anything, trying to recollect himself on the way back to your place. You didn't mind the silence this time. It was natural. Once the both of you arrived, he stayed at your driveway and didn't get closer than that.

"Good night, (F/n)." Namjoon raised his hand to wave at you as you walked up to your front door. Putting your key in the door and turning the knob, you look over your shoulder one last time to see Namjoon making sure you get in safely.

"Good night, Namjoon!" You bowed your head before slipping into the dark house. Your parents must be asleep. Putting away your house key in your backpack, you went to turn on a light. You didn't feel like blindly making your way to your bedroom which you have done before. It wasn't a smart idea. Finding the switch, you turn it on to see your mother standing exactly next to you with a smirk. "Oh my—Eomma!!" You screamed, almost having a heart attack.

"Why'd you come home so late?" She asked. "Who was that person you were with? They left before I could see them clearly...you're d*mn lucky."

"Gosh, Eomma...you nearly killed me." You touched your chest, feeling the quick rate of your heart beating. Mom gave you a gentle smile as she stroked your hair. Though you were no fool. You knew your Mom was determined to find out who your friends were.

"Good night, Sweetie." She walked off towards her bedroom, mysterious as always.

"Yeah...good night, Eomma. Sweet dreams." You closed your eyes and leaned back against the wall. That was close.


	14. Awkward Walks

Ch.14

Mr. Kim was wearing glasses today. Does he know what he's doing to the female students? You had to pull yourself together more than twice today. That's a bit of a problem. Other than that, math class was going pretty well. Mr. Kim said today would be used as a review day. This chapter was a long one and you guys had reached the midpoint. Tomorrow would be a small quiz so you were thankful for this chance. He's such a great teacher! And a kind person as well! This wasn't your tiny crush on him talking either. He genuinely was, but Yoongi usually blocked your reasoning out and told you that you were obsessed with his looks.

Speaking of Yoongi, he had his head down on his desk. Class has only been in session for five minutes. He's napping already? You repeatedly glanced at him in worry. He's normally never this sleepy. Any time Mr. Kim looked over at the back, you made sure to be more distracting. Something to make a sleeping Yoongi go unnoticed. Mr. Kim handed out the papers and told you guys that you were allowed to work in groups of four. Four? Namjoon and Hoseok turned around in their seats with smirks on their faces. Doesn't that work out just perfectly?

Hoseok and Namjoon sat at the very front of the room next to each other. Namjoon always sat at the front, but Hoseok had to be moved. Mr. Kim got tired of the golden boy whispering jokes to the class president when they were two seats away. You're not quite sure how moving Hoseok closer to Namjoon solved anything, but it seems to have worked. Hoseok waits for more appropriate times to tell jokes. Then Yoongi and you sat at the very back next to the door. That usually let Yoongi sleep peacefully without getting caught most of the time.

"Hey Yoongi...it's time to wake up." You stretched your arm out to shake him. The redhead groaned, opening his eyes slightly. His dark eyes met yours, doing their best to stay open. His breathing was still slow as he gently pushed himself up.

"Already?" He groaned.

"Yeah, Mr. Kim already handed the review worksheet. He said we can work in groups of four." You smiled as you held up the paper. Yoongi frowned, his eyes traveling over to the front of the class. Hoseok was already laughing with Namjoon smiling next to him. The two of them were slowly making their way over.

"You gotta be kidding me. It's like all of us are friends or something." Yoongi scoffed. Every day, you guys ate lunch together. Whenever there was partner work or if any of you needed help, you turned to one another. You would have assumed that all of you had become friends already.

"God forbid you befriend Hoseok and Namjoon." You rolled your eyes. "But why are you so sleepy?"

"Hoseok is fine. Namjoon can be a bit iffy though," Yoongi immediately retorted. "And it's nothing...just trying to finish producing this song. I'll talk about it more later." The delinquent shut his lips as Namjoon and Hoseok took the two seats next to you guys.

"Group project~!" Hoseok intoned.

"Let's get started. We're aiming for high marks on this quiz." Namjoon clicked his mechanical pencil.

During the time you guys worked on the worksheet, Mr. Kim decided to play some music. He was happily humming along to it while other students ignored it. You didn't mind the song choices. They were the ones that were usually played on the radio. Hoseok had to be reminded multiple times to sit still. He kept wanting to get up and dance. Unfortunately for him, he had to stay glued to his seat. The only people having problems with the songs were Namjoon and Yoongi for some reason. You understood that Yoongi wasn't a fan of bubblegum pop.

Namjoon got annoyed more than you expected. He would try teaching you guys and then make little comments about how the songs were dumb. Yoongi agreed, weirded out that Namjoon and him could agree on something. Hoseok tried telling the boys that the songs weren't so bad. You weren't too picky on your music and practically listened to everything. Despite that, you could still see where Yoongi and Namjoon were coming from. Based off all the songs Yoongi has recommended to you in the past, you knew these songs weren't his thing.

"Do you think I can get Mr. Kim to change it to...classical music?" Namjoon set down his pencil.

"Why is it bothering you so much?" Hoseok frowned. "Just let the old man play his music."

"He's not old!" You whined.

"He's too old for you, (F/n). Stop trying to date our teacher." Yoongi narrowed his eyes on you. With a blush spreading across your face, you gave the boy a strong glare. Mr. Kim is literally twenty-five! He's the youngest teacher on this entire campus!

"Do you have a crush on Mr. Kim?" Hoseok turned to you, raising a brow. Namjoon eyed you curiously while Yoongi leaned back in his chair with crossed arms. This was getting on your nerves. Every girl that goes here has a crush on him!

"It's just a light crush. I find him attractive and that's _all_." You stood your ground.

"...what's he got that I don't got?" Hoseok pouted.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me." You let your head fall into your hands. Was he seriously acting like this? The table jolted and you heard Hoseok wince. Yoongi must have kicked him under the table. Not the first time. Namjoon awkwardly cleared his throat, suddenly not so focused on the music anymore.

"Well, hopefully you can find someone near your age..." Namjoon looked down at his paper. He tried to act natural, but his ears were bright red. The table jolted again, only harder this time. Yoongi remained with a calm and unbothered expression. Though he was acting like that, Namjoon had been hit. Roughly. The president gritted his teeth and clutched his leg for dear life. Hoseok sympathized as the tall male swore under his breath. "Min f*cking Yoongi—"

"Tutor us, Mr. President." Yoongi motioned his hand towards the paper. "Will ya?"

"I'm this close to kill—"

"WHY DON'T YOU KNOW, DON'T YOU KNOW, DON'T YOU KNOW!!" Hoseok jumped onto his feet. He sang loudly to the music and began dancing. The two boys paused, judging the golden boy who made himself the center of attention to all his peers. Mr. Kim looked over at him, completely surprised. "Up and down, up and down—"

"Sit the f*ck down." Yoongi hissed. Hoseok didn't hesitate to hop back into his seat like nothing happened. Namjoon had a change of opinion at this point. He sighed and mumbled that the music wasn't too bad. As long as Hoseok stayed in his seat. Hoseok chuckled, returning to the worksheet. Other students in class were laughing while a few rolled their eyes. You immediately looked at Mr. Kim who was quietly clapping his hands at Hoseok's performance.

Math class was crazy as it always seems to be lately. Now that all three boys hang out, there was chaos. Yoongi was your best friend and refuses to leave your side. Namjoon is your tutor and is adamant about helping you on every partner work Mr. Kim gives out. Then Hoseok is persistent about becoming your friend. He's also friends with both Yoongi and Namjoon. Whether the boys like it or not, they have to deal with each other all the time now. Something only one of the boys was able to handle well. The other two...and you're not naming names...but Namjoon and Yoongi try their best.

When lunch came around, they were already acting up. You were giving Yoongi half of your lunch like you always did. He would either get half of your food or you would make him his own lunch. Today, Namjoon decided to question why Yoongi always got food from you. The way it left Namjoon's lips managed to irk Yoongi. He took it as an insult of some kind. The two were close to fighting until Hoseok appeared. The popular male showed just in time. He came with a large cookie in his hands. He snapped it in half, handing it both to Yoongi and Namjoon.

"Here!" Hoseok grinned.

"Uh..." Namjoon grabbed it with suspicions.

"Thanks." Yoongi took it with no questions. Namjoon's eyes widened when the slender boy ate it in one bite. "What are you looking at?" Yoongi grumbled. It didn't sound that clear with food in his mouth, but that's what he said.

"Nothing." Namjoon sighed, taking a bite.

Once again, Hoseok had come to the rescue. The male gave you a happy smile that you were grateful for. If it weren't for him, the two boys would have clawed each other's eyes out already. Somehow Hoseok has been able to defuse every single argument the two start with ease. It was a talent that you wished to possessed yourself. The most you're capable of is staying quiet or telling both parties to shut the f*ck up. So far, those two don't really help with anything. You're going to have to take some notes from your old schoolmate. Hoseok chewed his food in front of the window. He continued to smile as the sun light landed on him and made his skin glow.

Namjoon then admitted that he would be late after school. As class president, he has to show up to a monthly meeting after school. Either you guys could wait for him or walk to his house on your own. He would text Taehyung to come home right away to unlock the door for you guys. Hoseok instantly voted for walking to Namjoon's house right away. Yoongi didn't want to stay at the school longer than he needed to. You didn't have much of a preference, but it looks like walking there first won. Namjoon pulled out his phone to text his little brother. Hoseok bounced on the ground, telling Namjoon that he says 'hi' to Taehyung.

Yoongi shook his head. He didn't understand why Hoseok got so excited over the idea of being a hyung. Namjoon sent the text and lunch resumed as normal. Everyone ate their food and cleaned up when there was five minutes to the bell. The four of you started walking around the castle, waiting for the last minute before going to the last class of the day. All the boys were fine until you noticed a familiar figure turning the corner. Your throat became dry, stopping in your steps without even realizing it. Yoongi sighed while the other two turned to you in confusion.

"Hello!" Mr. Kim waved at the four of you.

"Hi, Mr. Kim!" You smiled happily. Hoseok and Namjoon watched with frowns on their faces. Then you ignored Yoongi who was clearly rolling his eyes.

"It's so nice seeing all of you as friends outside of the classroom." Mr. Kim looked at all of you.

"All of us are friends. Yes." Namjoon gave him a tight smile. Mr. Kim remained oblivious to the way the boys were acting. Yoongi agreed, his eyes coldly meeting Namjoon's.

"Oh! Actually, since I have you guys here...can I tell you all a joke?" Mr. Kim clasped his hands together in excitement. He started going up on his toes, trying not to overwhelm all of you. "It'll be real quick! I just want to know if it's funny for younger kids."

"N—" You rammed your elbow in Yoongi's ribs before he could decline.

"We'd love to hear it!" You chimed to see the teacher's eyes light up.

"Do you have children, Mr. Kim?" Hoseok questioned. Namjoon snickered while you crossed your arms. These boys will do literally anything to make fun of your dumb crush.

"Me? Oh no. I just have a joka and he _loves_ my humor." Mr. Kim wouldn't stop grinning at the mention of his nephew.

"I bet he does." Namjoon sighed. Mr. Kim nodded as he began to pat himself, muttering that he could show you guys a picture of him. You were willing to see his nephew, but someone was getting impatient. Specifically, Yoongi.

"We really don't have much time," Yoongi said. Mr. Kim stopped and realized the boy was right. The bell would be ringing very soon.

"Er, right! Well here's the joke!" Mr. Kim got ready. He was already trying to hold back laughter. "Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon?"

"I hate this." Yoongi frowned.

"What about the restaurant?" Hoseok grew interested.

"Why are we encouraging this?" Namjoon covered his face.

"Ignore them, Mr. Kim," You said. Mr. Kim seemed to have no problem doing so. Instead, he focused on you and Hoseok who were more than willing to listen.

"Great food, _no atmosphere_." Mr. Kim burst out laughing. He bent forward and was struggling to pull himself together.

Was it as funny as he was reacting? Not really. You did get it though. Namjoon was groaning and Yoongi was swearing under his breath about how this was pissing him off. Hoseok let out a soft chuckle, but quickly got awkward. No one found it as funny as the man telling it himself. Mr. Kim thanked all of you for letting him tell it. Once he left, Yoongi questioned right away why his laugh sounded like a windshield wiper. Hoseok and Namjoon's eyes widened at the realization, claiming that it sounded familiar to something. Right away, you hit all of them on the back of the head. They're so mean to Mr. Kim for no reason.

The boys were still smiling afterwards. It's not like you hit them with all your might anyway. Namjoon and Hoseok left for their class that was in the same direction. Yoongi and you had classes in the opposite direction. He's still the only one who drops you off to your last class. The redhead stood with you outside the classroom, not caring if he was late for his next class. The bell eventually rang and you waved to him. He should really get going if he doesn't want to get in trouble with his attendance. Yoongi told you it was fine. You froze when you saw someone standing behind him.

"You should really get to your next class," You whispered.

"Maybe I should hide myself in here with you." Yoongi chuckled. "It doesn't matter if I skip my next class. It's boring as hell anyway."

"Is detention more exciting for you?" The voice was automatically familiar to the delinquent. His eyes became dark as he turned around to face the principal. The older man stared down at Yoongi with disappointment.

"Fine. I'll get to class." Yoongi hissed, walking away.

"Is everything okay?" Your teacher noticed the principal. She lifted her glasses as you quietly made your way to your desk. Principal Yoo apologized for interrupting her class.

"It's nothing. Only dealing with a misbehaving student." He sighed. Your teacher nodded and closed the door. You grew nervous when you heard Principal Yoo shout Yoongi's full name. That can't be good.

And it wasn't. By the time school ended, you got a text from Yoongi that he was in the Principal's office. He hasn't responded to any of your texts since. Hopefully, he's not in too much trouble. He technically didn't even skip class! He was only late but...Principal Yoo is probably going to give him some kind of punishment. Their relationship is so strange. Yoongi's presence at this school is also a bit weird when you think about it. You normally try not to think about it, but there's still a lot of mystery surrounding your best friend.

The only boy waiting for you outside of the school gates was Hoseok. He stood in the sun with his giant yellow sweater. It looked so baggy on him, but he made it look natural. Compared to everyone at this school, Hoseok was fashionable with his outfits. Most people settled with their uniforms like you did. When you came out of the school all by yourself, Hoseok looked around you in confusion. The two of you have never really been alone together. Whenever you were...it didn't really end well. Though the both of you often hung out with the other boys, you felt the awkward air rising. Hoseok must have felt it too.

"No Yoongi?" Hoseok rubbed the back of his neck, the orange blaze of the sun getting to him. His eyes continued to dart to the school entrance in hopes for the delinquent to pop out. Only random students came out to his dismay. You took in a breath, shaking your head. "I see...well then let's get to Namjoon's house!"

"Yeah, let's go." You started walking alongside him.

This was worse than you thought. Hoseok was almost scared to look at you on his own. As if he said the wrong thing, you would snap at him like the first time the two of you interacted. It's only because what he said was shocking and frustrating. He's learned to control what he says around you. For the most part. Hoseok can occasionally get bold when the other boys are around. You bit your lip as the two of you came up to cross walk. Pressing the button, the two of you had to wait until it was safe to go. The only sound heard was cars passing by. You took this chance to glance at the popular male only to make eye contact.

"Sorry!" Hoseok blushed.

"What are you apologizing for?" You looked straight forward.

"To be honest...I don't know." Hoseok chuckled. "I don't know why I'm so awkward around you...we went to school together."

"It's not like we ever talked though." You shrugged. "This year is the first time I ever talked to you."

"We should've talked to each other back then. We used to share similar friends." Hoseok smiled as cars stopped before the crossline. The two of you crossed the street, slowly getting comfortable with one another. You did feel a bitter taste in your mouth when hearing him talk about your old friends.

"I hate them." You scoffed. "I'm so glad I go to Sehwang so I don't ever have to see them again."

"You don't like them?" Hoseok raised a brow at you. The idea of ever hanging out with your old friends made you sick. All they ever wanted to do was to become a statistic. It got on your nerves. What did they get out of partying with no boundaries? Drinking underage and behaving inappropriately? Telling you to act like them because its fine? Telling you that all you were is boring and pathetic. That you're lucky they put up with you in the first place. Hoseok could see your angered expression. Your 'friends' screwed you over all the time. Good riddance. "You know, I had been wondering about that."

"About what?" You looked at him. This time Hoseok remained unfazed at your annoyed face. He knew it was only because of your old friends and not towards him.

"If you actually liked them. I didn't like our old friends either even if I did act like everybody's friend." Hoseok shrugged. "I'm glad to be at Sehwang too. With Namjoon, Yoongi, and you!"

The boy gained a pep to his step. You giggled at how enthusiastic he could get. Was he really that happy to have gotten to know you? You were also surprised he didn't like his old friends either. For once, you felt completely open towards Hoseok. There was always a wall reminding you of your bad impression of him or the fight you had with him about Namjoon. If there was something to learn from Hoseok, it was to have positive outlook on life. His personality could sometimes come off as too overbearing, but you were growing used to it. The more time you spent walking to Namjoon's house with Hoseok, the better you felt about him.

Hoseok was popular for a reason. He was charming and knew how to talk to people. Not everyone sees it that way at first, but they'll come around. Perfect examples besides you were Yoongi and Namjoon. Namjoon didn't really have an interest in befriending Hoseok in the beginning. His only goal was to help a fellow classmate. Now the two got along as if they were childhood best friends. Those two were constantly texting each other. Even if Namjoon and Hoseok didn't look like the type of people to be friends with one another.

Then Yoongi was an interesting case. Yoongi didn't get a good impression of Hoseok either. He caught the male being a little too persistent with you and twisted his arm. That was a very memorable moment in your life. Hoseok was then left a bit terrified of the hostile delinquent. It wasn't until they were partnered up for a big project that they started to get along with one another. Magically, the two clicked and can get surprisingly loud together. Hoseok brings out a different side of Yoongi that most people don't really get to see. It's a shame that people only see Yoongi as a delinquent or Namjoon as an uptight class president. Another shame is the fact that Yoongi and Namjoon struggle to get along. The only time they ever do...

"Hey, Hoseok?" You held onto the straps of your backpack tightly.

"Hm?" Hoseok hummed.

"Can you help me with a mission?" You asked. He stopped, looking at you with a puzzled face.

"Mission?" He laughed. "Like a videogame?"

"No, I mean...I want to get Yoongi and Namjoon to get along and be friends," You admitted. "You're really good at keeping peace between them. I wanted to know if—"

"—I can help you make them friends?" Hoseok finished for you with a smirk. "Don't worry, (F/n). I'm doing my best."

So he already knew? You grinned at the fact that he was trying to make it work between the two. No wonder he miraculously stopped their fights every time. "Thank you, Hoseok!" You grinned.

You were so happy that you rushed to hug him. It was all out of emotion. You felt relieved that he agreed for some reason when you knew he most likely wanted them to be friends too. Either way, you're just glad that everything is okay between Hoseok and you. The awkward air is thankfully no longer present. Hoseok stumbled back but wrapped his arms around you tightly. The large yellow sleeves of his hoodie engulfing you into a cozy hug. Hoseok chuckled, a pink blush appearing on his cheeks. You rested your head on his chest until you heard the voices of children in shock.

"What are you doing!? Noona is hyung's girlfriend!" Taehyung shouted.

Hoseok frowned to be suddenly yelled at. Your eyes widened, but you weren't surprised. You pulled away from Hoseok to see Taehyung and Jimin staring. Taehyung was pointing at Hoseok, doing his best to intimidate the older boy. Jimin stood next to his friend with wide eyes. His face was bright pink as if he felt like he had just intruded on something he shouldn't have. Hoseok tried claiming his innocence in an instant. You only shook your head and made Taehyung stop pointing.

"I'm not dating Namjoon," You reminded the puppy whose ears flopped down.

"Are you...dating Hoseok?" The baby chick questioned.

"I'm not dating anyone." You shook your head.

"Then I'm rooting for you to end up with hyung! He's really smart and talented!" Taehyung pulled out his house keys. "Now come follow me to my house! Only I have the key~!"

"Lead the way." Hoseok put his hands in his pockets.

Taehyung held the key high up in the air. Hoseok watched in amusement, a lot more relaxed now that he wasn't being accused of betraying his closest friend. You followed with Jimin trailing right next to you. It looked like he wanted to speak but couldn't get himself to do so. His big eyes stayed glued to Hoseok who laughed at the things Taehyung was spouting out. You hope Jimin gets the courage to talk to Hoseok. He won't bite at all. The four of you arrived at Namjoon's house to see Yoongi sitting on the doorstep. Taehyung gasped, running over to him in worry.

"Yoongi hyung! Did I make you wait?" Taehyung frowned. "I promised Namjoon hyung that I wouldn't make any of you wait..."

"Don't get sad. I just got here." Yoongi assured the boy. He stood up from the step to ruffle the puppy's hair. Something to show him that he had nothing to worry about. Taehyung's frown quickly turned into an adorable boxy grin. Without wasting much time, Taehyung opened the door and let everyone in.


	15. Hyung

Ch.15

Namjoon texted that he was on his way home. The meet had just finished at school. During all that time that he's been spending over there, the four of you have been spending time with the puppy and baby chick. It's been really interesting seeing the high schoolers and middle schoolers interact without Namjoon telling Taehyung to leave them alone. Taehyung did most of the talking, but he was helping Jimin get used to their two new hyungs. Yoongi didn't talk much but he was smiling. Hoseok was excitedly showing Taehyung certain dance moves.

It was entertaining to watch Hoseok showing a little bit of what he was capable of. Yoongi and you were impressed. Not as much as Jimin was. The boy's eyes were sparkling at the control Hoseok had over his own body. Taehyung was giggling and trying to copy every move without much effort. It was all for fun to the little puppy. The baby chick was subtly trying to follow along and caught the attention of Hoseok. Right away, the popular male grew excited at Jimin's interest in dancing like him.

"Park Jimin! Look at you!!" Hoseok cheered. The baby chick flinched at his loud tone but smiled anyway. He was embarrassed, staring down at his feet. "Show me what you got!"

"Yeah! Show him, Jimin! Jimin is a really good dancer!" Taehyung ran to tell Yoongi.

"Oh really?" Yoongi amused the boy. Taehyung nodded, making sure everyone focused.

Hoseok put on some music for Jimin to freestyle with. Hoseok and Taehyung didn't stop cheering for the small boy. Yoongi did some light cheering and you joined in. At first, you thought it would only make Jimin more embarrassed. It ended up having the opposite effect. All the positive cheers built confidence in Jimin. His body was stiff at first, but it wasn't long before he was able to dance freely. The only difference with Jimin's dancing was that most of his moves were graceful and elegant. He was doing leaps and many beautiful moves that didn't match the hip hop music Hoseok was playing whatsoever. When Jimin finished, everyone clapped for him and he wouldn't stop smiling.

"Did you like that?" Jimin panted. "My leg extension is improving so much. My teacher says that I'm doing so well for my age."

"That's my best friend!!" Taehyung shouted.

"Hehe, you're my best friend!" Jimin giggled, opening up his true personality to everyone. All he needed to do was dance.

"So Jiminie, you're really good at all those fancy turns and stuff." Hoseok smiled. Jimin bowed at his hyung, his eyes shining brighter. "Have you ever tried b-boying?"

"B-boying? What's that?" Jimin tilted his head.

"You can't be a dancer and not know." Hoseok gasped. He tapped on his phone and handed it over to Jimin. "Give me your number and I'll send you the coolest dance videos you'll ever see in your entire life!"

"Okay!!" Jimin put in his number. Taehyung then came over, whining that he wanted Hoseok's phone number too. That got Hoseok to laugh, feeling flattered.

Yoongi looked at you, commenting on how Hoseok was popular among the thirteen-year old's too. He wasn't wrong. Taehyung and Jimin had both pulled out their phones to take pictures with Hoseok. It was so cute how they were treating him like a celebrity. Especially Jimin. Hoseok admitted that he had a soft spot for the baby chick. If Taehyung is Namjoon's little brother then Jimin will be Hoseok's little brother. That immediately had Jimin jumping up and down. Yoongi shook his head, smiling at the young preteens when the door opened wide. Heads turned to see Namjoon coming in and taking off his shoes. The first thing he noticed was his friends messing around with Taehyung and Jimin.

"Did I miss anything?" Namjoon closed the door behind him, his right brow cocked up.

"Hoseok hyung became Jimin's older brother!" Taehyung ran to Namjoon.

"Hoseok sort of adopted Jimin. I don't really know what's going on myself." Yoongi shrugged. "But uh, welcome home."

"You're making that sound so casual." You stifled back giggles.

"Look at my little brother! He's so cute!" Hoseok hugged the squealing boy.

"Hyung, you're tickling me!" Jimin was lifted in the air.

"Airplane!!" Hoseok shouted and faked an engine sound. Your heart was melting at how cute it was. Every time you couldn't handle it, you hit Yoongi's shoulder and ignored his complaints. Cute things were your favorite and you weren't afraid to admit it was your biggest weakness. Meanwhile Taehyung was staring in awe and looked up at Namjoon to do the same. The puppy wagged its tail in anticipation, but only got a pat on the back.

"Alright, well we gotta start tutoring soon. Come on, Hoseok." Namjoon started walking towards the kitchen.

"Aw, man." Hoseok pouted as he carefully set Jimin down. The baby chick looked so sad to have play time be over. Hoseok felt the same, still hugging the boy and not wanting to let go.

"Aww..." Jimin pouted, his chubby cheeks making him look so adorable. Namjoon set down his backpack in the kitchen where Yoongi and you were sitting. You continued to watch the puppy that kept its eyes on his big brother. He very clearly wanted to play too. Namjoon called towards Hoseok again to join the rest of you for tutoring.

"Cold blooded, Kim Namjoon." Yoongi laughed.

"Why's that?" Namjoon responded defensively. He faced the pale male with narrowed eyes.

"Hoseok and Jimin were having a brother bonding moment." Yoongi smirked. "And Taehyung looks lonely. Maybe I should adopt him?" Namjoon's eyes opened wide in shock to hear that.

"He already has a big brother!" Namjoon huffed, storming over to the glum puppy. The second Taehyung saw Namjoon coming towards him, he jumped up in excitement. Yoongi looked over at you and rolled his eyes.

"For a smart guy, he's so easy to play with," Yoongi said.

"You did that for Tae?" You playfully nudged him.

Despite the tough exterior, he has a major soft spot. Yoongi chose to ignore you and watch the siblings. Taehyung stayed clinging onto Namjoon who wanted to be released. Hoseok and Jimin laughed, but the president didn't find it so funny. It took a while to get Taehyung off of Namjoon. He was a very persistent little boy. Jimin had to remind the puppy that they had to work on their essay together which got Taehyung to let go so he could whine about the homework. Namjoon was free and told the boys to work hard. Finally, the four of you could go through the lesson.

It did feel like as time went on, tutoring gets harder for Namjoon. It was easy at first when all of you were quiet and awkward with each other. Now it's so easy to get off track and talk nonstop. Namjoon occasionally lets himself slip before reminding everyone that they have to pass math class. There were no interruptions for the longest time until Hoseok randomly questioned why Yoongi didn't walk with him and you. Namjoon was confused, listening in as Yoongi retold exactly what happened. You were only there for the beginning when he got in trouble with Principal Yoo. His luck around that man was thin.

Yoongi was taken to the principal's office to have a long chat about his attitude towards school. The delinquent rolled his eyes, commenting how dumb the principal was. It wasn't until Principal Yoo threatened to call home that he had to stop acting out. Eventually, he was let go but he was extremely close to getting detention. It took some acting with the apology for Principal Yoo to let him go and by the time he did, school was over. Namjoon sighed heavily, telling the boy to be more careful. Hoseok was worried, not wanting Yoongi to get expelled for his behavior around the principal.

"I'm not gonna get expelled." Yoongi played with his pencil.

"How do you know that?" Hoseok frowned. "We've just met! I don't want you to get kicked out!"

"You better not get expelled." You didn't like the thought of him leaving either. Min Yoongi is the main reason you survived the beginning of the year. What would you do without him?

"Trust me. You guys don't have to worry." Yoongi sank in his chair. "I'll never get expelled...he doesn't have the guts to do that to me."

"Well, let's hope your arrogance doesn't lead to your downfall." Namjoon crossed his arms. The delinquent smirked, his eyes meeting the president's with a teasing glint.

"Do I hear a caring tone from Kim Namjoon?"

"A warning," Namjoon clarified with a sharper tone. As if caring for Min Yoongi would be the last thing he would want to do. Before the two of them could continue talking, the pitter patter of feet entered the kitchen. All of you looked to see Taehyung and Jimin biting their lips. They were staring at Namjoon, causing everyone to quiet down. Was it serious? "Do you need me to take you home, Jimin?"

"It's not that..." Jimin shook his head.

"What is it?" Hoseok turned in his chair.

"We wanted to ask hyung how he's so popular." Taehyung smiled at Namjoon. Yoongi almost fell out of his chair laughing. Namjoon's face burned and he did his best not to swear at Yoongi in front of the puppy and chick. You had to smack Yoongi so he would pull himself together. The kids were looking at him weirdly. "...anyway, I wanted to know because you have so many friends!"

"Oh yes, your hyung is so popular. The king of the nerds!" Yoongi grinned.

"Do you want to get kicked out of my house?" Namjoon barked.

"I think your hyung has found himself a nice group of friends," You added. "I wouldn't say he's popular though."

"Why are you guys asking?" Hoseok tilted his head. Both Jimin and Taehyung looked at each other before responding. They fidgeted with all eyes on them. Yoongi and Namjoon stopped bickering, paying attention to the preteens.

"Um...we got a new kid in our class. He's really shy, worse than Jimin," Taehyung said to get hit by the baby chick. The puppy didn't appreciate getting pecked at with a sharp beak but continued for the sake of getting this over with. "He seems really nice too but..."

"But?" All of you leaned closer.

"I don't know. He's friends with the ninth graders." Jimin shrugged.

"A seventh grader friends with ninth graders?" You furrowed your brows. Jimin stuttered, almost as if he regretted calling them friends. Taehyung shook his head and sighed.

"They hurt him. I don't think they're friends." Taehyung stared at his feet. Yoongi stopped leaning back in his chair to hear that. His expression grew dark and serious while Hoseok and Namjoon were surprised. You were shocked too. They were hurting him? You didn't know what to say, but you were glad they brought this up. Hoseok remained silent as Namjoon cleared his throat. He told the boys to tell faculty at the school. Jimin and Taehyung nodded, feeling better now that they had that off their shoulders. The boys ran back up the stairs, returning to their cheerful personalities. Yoongi watched them disappear and shook his head. He stood up, grabbing his things and baffling all of you.

"School faculty don't do sh*t." Yoongi put on his jacket. "I have to go now. Send me the notes of what I missed."

"Why are you going?" Namjoon puzzled.

"I have to work on something." Yoongi shared a look with you. "It's due tomorrow so I have to get it done."

"Oh, okay...see ya." Hoseok waved.

"Bye!" You shouted, slowly chewing your lip. Namjoon shrugged and resumed with Hoseok as the front door closed. Yoongi left, but you knew what he was actually up to. He was going to work on his song. You quickly took out your phone, knowing he would text you. As expected, he told you to get ready for tonight. This is going to be exciting.

You went through tutoring as normal. It went on for another hour before Namjoon decided to call it a night. The sun would be setting soon so you packed up as fast as you could. Hugging Namjoon and Hoseok, you left the house very friendly. Namjoon and Hoseok didn't complain though. Both looked happy and you didn't understand why. It was just a hug. As soon as you arrived home, you went straight towards bed. You're going to need the sleep if you go to Midnight Measure. You knocked out the second your body landed on your bed. Falling asleep became easier when you ran on only three hours of sleep from last week.

Next thing you know, there was a tapping at your window. You cracked your eyes open to see Yoongi opening it up. He quietly came inside and closed it as quick as he could. He didn't want the cold air coming when you weren't even properly dressed. Rubbing your eyes, you sat up as he walked over to your bed. Yoongi laughed at how tired you were. Most of your movements were slower than a sloth. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders, holding you tightly against him.

"Ready for tonight, Baby girl?"

"Let me get dressed first." You got out of your bed. You had clothes ready on your wardrobe. Everything was always set for you to go to Midnight Measure with Yoongi. Though it took away your sleep, it was something you looked forward to. It was where Yoongi's recommendations came to life. Not only that, but you were able to see how talented he was. His passion towards music really showed every time he was in Midnight Measure. Yoongi's fanboys were also fun to hang around and there was never a dull moment when you were over there. Sleep could wait if it meant supporting your friend. When you finished changing in your closet, you came out and walked up to the window with Yoongi.

"You sure that sweater will keep you warm?" Yoongi asked. He grabbed your shoulders, rubbing his hands up and down to warm you up.

"It's thicker than it looks." You nodded. It was sweet to see him worrying over you like this. The redhead scanned your eyes to make sure you weren't lying to him.

"If you say so." Yoongi let you go in front of him. You opened the window, suddenly feeling him wrap his arms around you to give you a back hug. "Let's hurry. My hyungs are waiting for us."

"Okay!" You tried acting natural. It's just Yoongi trying to get you used to affection for when he plays your boyfriend. Nothing more than that. You know that. But your heart kept pounding roughly against your chest the entire ride over to Midnight Measure.


	16. Pep Talk

Ch.16

Yoongi was scrolling through his phone next to you. The two of you had arrived at Midnight Measure on an open mic night. There would be no battles and people were just allowed to perform whatever they wanted. People were performing and there was a bit of a list. Yoongi was looking at his lyrics and plugged in his earphones. His fanboys could tell he was nervous about performing this new song he had been working on. You saw it in the way Yoongi bit his lip, shaking his leg as the song played in his ears. The fanboys haven't heard it and neither have you.

Junsuh sat on a stool across from you, playing with his lip ring. Jaegyu was off flirting with a couple of girls. Then Jinyo kept his eyes on Yoongi. They were wide, excited to see what Yoongi was going to do. There wasn't much going on though and you were getting bored. The only thing you could really do here was listen to the music. Currently, someone was going up to the mic. They wore a large white oversized hoodie with a red baseball cap. You couldn't really see much of them with the crowd in front of you. It didn't matter too much since you could still hear the rapper. He had a deep voice that you took a liking to. Even Junsuh stopped playing with his lip ring.

He looked over at you since you were the only one paying attention. This new rapper had impressive vocabulary. It wasn't really something you would expect. Not to mention, all the metaphors this rapper wrote. Junsuh was beginning to smile which he didn't do often. He really liked the play on words that this rapper was capable of. At this point, Junsuh was tapping Jinyo to listen. Jinyo groaned and was not interested. Yoongi sighed, looking up to see Junsuh silently showing enthusiasm towards a performance. Yoongi furrowed his brows and took out his earbuds.

"Is this a new rapper?" Yoongi asked.

"I've never heard him before." You moved your body to his flow. He was really good.

"He's not new. He shows up on the occasion though." Jaegyu came by with a smirk.

"Ew, don't come to us with hickeys on your neck." Jinyo grimaced.

"Listen." Junsuh growled. The two shut up to hear the rapper finish his performance. The crowd was starting to get incredibly hyped as the night continued. Especially with all the alcohol they were drinking. People were so loud that you couldn't hear the MC introduce the next rapper. Junsuh stood up from his stool, walking away to the backroom.

"Where's he going?" You asked.

"Probably to go talk to that rapper." Jinyo shrugged. He returned his attention to Yoongi. "I already found my favorite rapper."

"Hyung, you're weird." Yoongi laughed.

"I'm supportive!"

"We're supportive! This is a group effort!" Jaegyu huffed.

Jinyo rolled his eyes but immediately screamed he was joking when Jaegyu tried to choke him. He probably shouldn't make the muscle of their group angry. Yoongi shook his head, chuckling at the fact that his biggest fanboy almost died. Jinyo was left looking like a sad baby when Jaegyu let him go with a warning. He didn't expect Yoongi to laugh at his near death experience. Junsuh then came back, not interested in hearing the story of how Jinyo almost got himself killed. They were all very close friends. You could tell by the way they interacted so naturally around each other. You were surprised though with how quick Junsuh came back. You would have assumed that talking to the other rapper would have taken longer.

Junsuh only mumbled that he had a short conversation with the guy. He only had time to perform one song and had to leave. Junsuh still had a small smile on his face. Even with the short exchange, the other rapper was apparently very kind. Yoongi got up, muttering that he had to go to the bathroom. He left and disappeared into the crowd. You had a tiny frown and Jinyo automatically believed you were heartbroken to be separated from Yoongi. It wasn't that. You were just worried since Yoongi was bottling his emotions and contemplating to tell you.

The three men took it upon themselves to entertain you. That's where their mind went to right away. Junsuh sat silently judging his friends who were doing some...interesting things. Jaegyu must have been a street dancer. He grabbed his wrist and twisted it in a direction that made you almost sick. He put his arm behind his head and continued. Junsuh eventually told Jaegyu to stop bone breaking. Is that what it's called? Well, the name is very fitting then. It felt like any second that Jaegyu would snap his bones or he didn't have any bones to begin with.

"I'm just flexing..." Jaegyu frowned.

"Knock it the f*ck off. (F/n) looks like she's going to throw up." Junsuh glared.

"Okay well, what about beatboxing?" Jinyo jumped to the center. "That's my specialty."

That sounded a lot better. Jaegyu grumbled under his breath and dropped his body onto a stool. You tilted your head as Jinyo began. You were surprised with how good he sounded creating a techno beat. He started off with what you were typically used to hearing. That's when Jinyo all of sudden started making a sound you've never heard leave a human before. You stared at him in awe when he added other clicking and hissing sounds. Though Jaegyu and Junsuh didn't say anything, their faces were holding clear pride over their friend. Jinyo was smiling as he added some singing with stuttering to make you think you were listening to a DJ scratch records.

"The hell?" You didn't know what else to say.

"I may not rap, but I can beat." Jinyo lifted his chin up into the air.

"H-How'd you...?" You motioned your hands to try and describe everything he just did. Hopefully they got it.

"He just did a techno base which is switching between throat base and normal voice," Junsuh explained.

"And I changed the shape of my mouth to fit each vowel so it makes the transitioning sound!" Jinyo bounced. "That way it goes a lot smoother!"

"Jinyo is like a pro though. Everyone else here has basic @ss beats." Jaegyu crossed his arms.

"Basic beats? I could never do that." You scoffed. Junsuh and Jaegyu chuckled at how awe struck you were left. Jinyo only rubbed his chin, being his odd bubbly self.

"Beat boxing is kind of easy." Jinyo shrugged. "All you gotta do to have a basic beat is have a kick, snare, and a hi-hat."

"What?" You furrowed your brows.

All three of the fanboys tried explaining this to you in further detail. Jinyo flooded you with knowledge on beatboxing. At one point, Junsuh took over explaining different hi-hats like reverse open, open, or inward fast whatever that meant. Either way they were giving you a crash course. Jaegyu listed off the names he knew at the top of his head. It started with rimshot and things went from there. Junsuh described how to do it and what it sounded like and Jinyo proceeded to perform it without issues. You were incredibly confused but intrigued to this different side of life.

Apparently Jinyo used to be a champion beatboxer until he stopped competing underground. He still has a good reputation. It made you wonder why he stopped when he clearly loves it and has no problem showing it off. Jaegyu whispered that the legend has it, Jinyo heard Yoongi rapping and quit to be his number one fanboy. Junsuh said he was there when it happened and can confirm it. Jinyo almost hit the both of them but realized he valued his life as the shorter of them. Jinyo only sighed, telling you he already reached the top. What's the point of competing then once you've done it all?

"Wow, trying to sound like a legend." Jaegyu snickered.

"I am!" Jinyo huffed.

"Why's Yoongi taking so long?" Junsuh pointed out. You were starting to think the same thing. Jinyo gasped, panicking at where the slender male went. He looked around like a petrified mother and started heading straight towards the bathroom. You followed him too since you were nervous. Yoongi tends to get really sensitive when it comes to his music. He doesn't open up about it to just anyone. As Jinyo and you made your way through the crowd, a guy jumped out to grab Jinyo.

"Hey dude! We want to have a cypher! Mind giving us a beat?" The guy held Jinyo tightly by the shoulders.

"Uh..." Jinyo glanced down at you.

"I'll find him." You nodded confidently to yourself.

Jinyo pursed his lips as he was dragged to a circle of rappers. They were already roughly patting his back, excited to work with his complex beats. That left you with trying to get Yoongi out of the men's bathroom. It wouldn't be a hard task if you had Jinyo or the other fanboys with you. They could easily walk in to check the area out. You were going to find Yoongi no matter what though. Nibbling on your bottom lip, you arrived at the dark area of the bathrooms. The music sounded very muffled over here. There was a long dimly lit hallway with the men's on the left and the women's on the right.

Making your way over to the men's, you put up your hoodie in hopes of passing as a guy. It wasn't really working. You hadn't looked at yourself in the mirror, but you knew. The door then flew open and your heart almost stopped until you realized it wasn't Yoongi. It was just a random guy. Well, you can still get help from him. You walked over to him and asked him if Suga was in the bathroom. You figured he would know Yoongi by his stage name more than his real one. The male with lazy eyes, opened the door again to poke his head in.

"Suga! Your girlfriend is asking for you." The guy opened the door wide and left. You mumbled a 'thank you' to him and kept the door open.

Slow footsteps came over and you softly gasped to see Yoongi's face drenched in water. His dark eyes only stared into yours for a few seconds. What did he do in there? Yoongi grabbed your hand, pulling you away from the men's bathroom. You didn't understand what was going on as he hurriedly brought you out of Midnight Measure. He didn't say anything to his hyungs as he took you outside. Not even a goodbye. It made you worry on what was going on. Yoongi was breathing jaggedly, shivering now that he was standing in the cold. His hair was straight and dripping with water. Droplets rolled down his face onto his clothes and the ground.

Yoongi held his sweater tightly around his body. With his jaw beginning to tremble, he went up the steps onto ground level. Were the two of you actually leaving Midnight Measure? You inched up the stone steps to see Yoongi sitting down on the ground. He didn't go towards his bike like you expected. He probably wants to talk then. You walked over to him before closely sitting down next to him. Yoongi was freezing more than you were in the cold. It was lightly snowing too which made you worry if he was going to get sick. He was wet and out in the gentle snow.

"Yoongi..." You wrapped your arms around him in hopes of keeping him warm. Yoongi leaned into your warmth, trying to stop shivering. He kept his eyes straight forward, staring at a brick wall across the street and a dirty dumpster. You rested your head against his shoulder as he sighed. His hot breath floating in the air.

"I feel like...no matter what I write...it's not good enough," Yoongi whispered.

"Why do you think that?" You furrowed your brows. You could tell Yoongi needed to sort out his feelings. Something was getting to him mentally and he needed time to figure it out. Sure, you could tell him about how amazing his work is. You could talk about his stage presence and how passionate his fanboys are. You could list all the good things to Yoongi, but sometimes those things don't matter. If Yoongi doesn't see it then that stuff means nothing. And Yoongi didn't want it to mean nothing.

"It's my...my Eomma found some of my old songs. She read the lyrics...some of them are really dark, (F/n)." Yoongi swallowed hard. You held him tighter in your arms. "We got into a fight. She got really worried and wants me in therapy, but I told her I was fine. She told me she didn't like my hobby anymore and that all it does is let my sadness eat at me. That's not true at all..."

"Music _is_ your therapy," You mumbled. Yoongi nodded, trying not to get too angry.

"I stupidly told her that I wanted to pursue music. I said things I shouldn't have and she ripped some of my old works up..." Yoongi hid his hands in the sleeves of his sweater. The pale boy's nose was turning blue. "It left me so f*cking pissed...all I wanna do is make music but I feel like I've never improved. My lyrics are all just sad and angry."

"What's wrong with sad and angry?" You asked. Yoongi took a second to think about what you said. He didn't think he would get that type of response from you. But you meant what you said.

What was so wrong with sad and angry lyrics? Yoongi knows deep down why he writes them. You held him tight as you encourage him not to hate his work. He writes for himself and on one else. These works just might be the reason he can make himself function as a human. Everyone finds some kind of outlet for themselves to get their thoughts together. Emotions are a sticky mess, but Yoongi finds clarity with music. That's something no one will ever be able to take away from him. He's not alone. There are others who have connected with his songs and they constantly cheer him on. His three fanboys that will do anything for him at the drop of a hat are proof.

Yoongi can be modest all he wants, but he's seen it. He sees it in the way his fanboys interact with him. You've shown admiration towards Yoongi for his skills as well. This is nothing foreign to him. You might be his best friend, but you full heartedly believe that he's capable of accomplishing things with his talent. There's something in him that's not easy to find in others. The first thing that attracted you to Yoongi was his passion towards music. It made him human to you and shook off all the negative stereotypes his delinquent label held. The way you know Yoongi is meant to continue music is for the fact that he's struggled this long just because he loves it. He's not getting paid or craving fame. He's just a boy with a passion.

"Nothing is wrong with it I guess..." Yoongi thinned his lips.

"You write what you experience, Yoongi. That has the power to change people." You stroked his wet hair. "Your confidence isn't doing so well and I get that. Is that why you're not performing tonight?"

"...Sort of. My song is also just...I wrote it out of anger," Yoongi said. "It was a rant to what Myunghan said to us. It got me so angry that I—"

"Myunghan?" You furrowed your brows. You couldn't remember anyone with that name. Yoongi looked at you before his eyes quickly darted away. He cleared his throat, shaking his head.

"I-I mean, Principal Yoo." Yoongi frowned. Was Myunghan his first name? It was a bit strange to hear his name leave Yoongi's lips so casually. Still, you didn't question it. Now wasn't the moment to bring your questions up. Yoongi quickly went on to remind you of the things Principal Yoo had said. Education was important and that there was no way of succeeding in life without it. To Yoongi, he thought that was a load of bullsh*t. That's what his song was all about and you felt like this rap would be powerful coming from him. "But...I feel like it might come across as childish."

"Childish? Standing up to society's pressures on students is childish?" You teased to earn a grin from him.

"I'm not changing lives. I'm just writing songs." Yoongi sighed.

"Have you forgotten the power songs hold?" You nudged him.

"...my song sounds like a kid whining because life is too hard." Yoongi groaned.

"I haven't heard your song yet, but I promise you that your lyrics are what people need to hear." You gave him another squeeze. He stayed close to your body, latching onto every last bit of warmth you held. You were beginning to shiver yourself.

"You think too highly of me." Yoongi smiled, turning his face to stare you straight in the eyes. You smiled in return and felt your cheeks grow pink to have his nose brush against yours.

"You're way too humble," You remarked. Yoongi's gummy smile made you feel so warm inside. It would be enough to melt the snow falling down on the two of you. Yoongi's eyes glanced down and connected with your eyes again. What was he doing? Your heart leaped into your throat the second you saw him tilting his head. All your emotions were running wild and you couldn't get yourself to function as he came closer. Slowly his eyes fluttered shut, but he never closed the gap. The slender boy soon opened his eyes again and looked down the stairwell towards the entrance of Midnight Measure.

"You're seriously going to stay there no matter what, huh?" Yoongi scoffed. You blinked in complete shock. He...he was going to kiss you? But at the same time, not? You turned to see Jinyo with the two others behind him.

"We came to help! B-But we didn't want to interrupt!" Jinyo replied defensively.

"Jinyo wanted to see if you had game!" Jaegyu shouted to earn a glare.

"Pervert," Junsuh muttered.

"LEAVE ME ALONE. THAT IS NOT TRUE."

"Let's get back inside. I'm going to perform." Yoongi stood up and shook his hair out. He mumbled, regretting splashing his face with so much water in the bathroom.

"Perform?" You stood up in excitement. Yoongi looked at you, nodding with a tiny smirk.

"Cheer loud for oppa, alright?" Yoongi winked.

"Oh my God, look at him go." Jinyo tried to suppress a squeal.

"Hyung!" Yoongi barked.

Jinyo sucked in his lips, no longer speaking. Jaegyu and Junsuh pulled Jinyo back as Yoongi walked down the stairs. You slowly started following the male with a giant smile. He was already radiating confidence. Before he went through the door, Junsuh grabbed him by his sweater. Yoongi looked at Junsuh with a raised brow. It didn't make sense until Junsuh removed his own heavy coat and put it on the delinquent. Yoongi put his arms through the sleeve and smirked. He stopped shivering, but his hands and nose were still blue. Yoongi nodded to himself with more determination to perform.

Normally, you felt nervous before Yoongi performed. Tonight was different after your talk with him. Yoongi went up to the MC to add himself to list. There was going to be a wait at first. Luckily, Yoongi's fanboys showed up for a little intimidation. Jaegyu did most of the threatening. That's how Yoongi got bumped up the list right away. He needed to perform while he felt the rush of emotions in his veins. His blood was pumping and he was ready. He gave the music to the MC and brought you to the backroom with him. As the MC announced him on stage, Yoongi told you that you're the best fake girlfriend. It was your favorite compliment.

"You got this, Oppa." You grinned.

"I'm gonna kiss your forehead, okay?" Yoongi said. Nodding your head, you felt your skin heat up once his lips touched you. You could hear Jinyo in the background trying to be silent. He was failing.

Yoongi waved and ran to get on stage. Right away, you went with the fanboys to watch Yoongi perform his new song. Yoongi was walking around the stage with the mic in his hand. The music started playing as fog floated onto the stage. The hissing of the smoke machines could be heard as multi-colored lights shined all over the room. Yoongi took in a deep breath, scanning the crowd and soon met your eyes. He smirked at that moment and started with the song. He came out aggressive, tired with a message that people didn't seem to understand.

"_Who is the one who made us into study machines?_ _They classify us to either being number one or dropping out._ _They trap us in borders, the adults!_ _There's no choice but to consent._ _Even if we think simply, it's the survival of the fittest_. _Who do you think is the one who makes us step on even our close friends to climb up? What!?_"


	17. Getting Along

Ch.17

The plan was to get Namjoon and Yoongi to befriend each other. They currently only tolerated one another and barely, at that. Any time one of them said something that remotely irked the other, they were ready to cause a war over it. It was almost as if they were searching for a reason to fight. Could they really not stand each other that much? Still, they tried to act calm around one another. You could see the efforts that they put into it for you. Yoongi would try not to snap at Namjoon and made sure his teasing remained light. Namjoon held back on scolding Yoongi and offers to help him with anything he might need. Though they do try, they need a little bit of help.

That's where Hoseok comes in. The two of you have been texting ideas to each other. Hoseok finally got your number now that you weren't unsure of him anymore. You were a bit tired with going to Midnight Measure recently, but you were pulling through. Hoseok wanted to talk to you about his idea in person. He said he had a lot to say and it would take too long to type out. You were a bit suspicious but agreed. The two of you were going to meet during one of the passing periods. If the plan was easy and good, it would take place at lunch. Hopefully something to help Yoongi and Namjoon realize that they have more in common than they think! Whatever that might be!

The only problem with trying to be alone with Hoseok was finding a way to get rid of Yoongi. He's great and you appreciate him so much! But he sticks to you like glue and you need him gone for this conversation to happen. Namjoon luckily had to deal with class president business. He left without an issue. Then with Yoongi, you had to be creative. He's going to wait for you if you go to the bathroom and he's going to take you to the nurse if you pretend to be sick. How dare he be such a dependable friend? Your little plan had to be quick if you wanted enough to time to discuss things with Hoseok.

"You should get to class. I have to go." You patted Yoongi's shoulder. Hoseok left Mr. Kim's classroom, already heading towards the designated spot.

"Where do you have to go?" Yoongi furrowed his brows.

"I have to talk to the principal—"

"Why?" Yoongi scowled.

"Normally, I would talk to my counselor but she's out on maternity leave..." You shrugged. Yoongi sighed, believing the lies coming out of your mouth. These lies were for a good reason though. Yoongi gave up trying to follow you like you had hoped. The principal was complete Yoongi repellent!

Splitting ways with Yoongi, you ran to meet up with Hoseok. He was waiting for you out in the courtyard with the large grass field. You rarely went outside so it's not like Yoongi or Namjoon would come looking for you out here. The school was also a mansion so you doubt they would see you by chance. Pushing up the doors, your feet pounded against the asphalt. Where was he? You headed closer towards the field to see Hoseok leaning against the stone building. Finally! You slowed down as you made your way to him. Hoseok continued grinning as you panted heavily.

"You made it." He chuckled.

"What's the plan?" You coughed. Running was never really your thing. Just running that short distance already had you bending over with your hands on your knees. Hoseok stared at you in slight worry. Your heart was pounding heavily and your throat was dry, but you were fine!

"Do you need water?" Hoseok raised a brow.

"Hoseok!" You shouted, still out of breath. There wasn't much time before the two of you had to head off to your own classes. He had to stay on topic or else the both of you came out here for nothing. You need to hear some kind of plan. Having Hoseok prevent them from fighting really doesn't help Yoongi or Namjoon in the long run.

"Right! Sorry, uh, so the plan!" Hoseok jumped into action. "Remember what Namjoon and Yoongi said when Mr. Kim played his music?"

"Remind me." You were finally able to stand straight. The back of your calves were still feeling the burn though. As Hoseok spoke, he wouldn't stop looking you up and down. With the look on his face, people would think you were close to falling over. That wasn't entirely true.

"They both thought pop kind of sucked! Maybe we can get them with music?" Hoseok tilted his head. With music? You smiled at the suggestion. Yoongi loves music. Lyrics kept him steady, music notes make him smile, and he lets it consume most of his identity. Yoongi would be so different if he weren't into music. You knew this would be the right approach in getting Yoongi to let his walls down with Namjoon. Yoongi suggests you music all the time and shows you how its raised him into who he is today. It was perfect.

"Music is the perfect way to get closer to Yoongi." You remember how the two of you became friends. Yoongi and you had only talked briefly before, but you were determined to make him your friend. Then it ends up being him who finds you and approaches you. He caught you listening to music and it started with suggesting you songs. It was a fond memory of yours. "Do you think music will get Namjoon to open up?"

You knew Kim Namjoon to a degree. You knew that he was literally the most intelligent person in your entire grade. Probably the whole school too if you're being honest. He has a little brother named Taehyung and his parents are practically nonexistent. His parents might be a sensitive topic. Then Namjoon has a very silly sense of humor. It matches Hoseok's weird tastes too. Other than that, you didn't know much about Namjoon's preference in music. He never spoke about it and only ever brought it up that one time. Even so, he suggested playing classical music. Yoongi plays it on the piano all the time and is alright with it. He says it never strikes a chord with him though.

"Music? Oh yeah, Namjoon is secretly nuts about it." Hoseok nodded enthusiastically. You furrowed your brows to hear that. Secretly nuts? You needed some proof. You may not text Namjoon as much as Hoseok does, but you were still suspicious. Namjoon was always busy with school related activities. He almost seems too busy to even listen to a single song.

"Since when?" You crossed your arms.

"I told Namjoon that I'm thinking of choregraphing to songs for fun. I like freestyling, but I thought I'd give that a try." Hoseok grinned widely. He bounced on his feet, getting excited at the thought of dancing. "So Namjoon told me that he had a playlist of songs I could try choreographing too," He said and you raised a brow at the thought of what type of music Namjoon truly listens to. "And I know what you're thinking! Jimin would dance better to Mozart than I ever would, but I accepted because I have manners! _Then_, when I got the link to his playlist..._holy sh*t_."

"What? What about his playlist?" You were beginning to get excited yourself for some reason.

"He had almost 10,000 songs, (F/n)! He's f*cking nuts about music! I'm telling ya!" Hoseok laughed as your jaw dropped. "He had music from all kinds of genres! Even from the pop he was trashing on in Mr. Kim's class!"

"Namjoon, that sly dog!" You giggled.

"But what I thought was funny was just how many rap songs he had." Hoseok laughed as you grew even more interested. Rap? Oh, now this is certainly a strong way to get Yoongi's trust and friendship. "He had old classics, some underground stuff, and wow...it was crazy. It was like he created a hip-hop playlist for his entire life! And you know what he told me? He said it was _just_ his studying music! There's no way he could study listening to all of that!"

"This is great!" You felt tempted to hug the crap out of Hoseok. "So how do we use this? What's the plan? Tell me!"

"I'll bring it up casually!" Hoseok grabbed your hands, holding your small ones gently. "Hopefully, things will happen naturally from there. They'll stop seeing each other as class president and delinquent."

"Exactly." You nodded at his plan. Just the sound of it made it feel like things would finally start working out between the two. Hoseok's grin grew wider if that was even possible. Since he was holding your hands, he pulled you close to him. You stumbled forward and fell into his chest. Hoseok quickly caught you, wrapping his arms around you tightly. You shook your head as you realized what he was doing. Placing your hands on his chest, you looked up at him with judging eyes. "Are you stealing a hug from me?"

"Definitely not." Hoseok shook his head. That grin was instantly turning into a smirk.

"I should've known better than to have trust you." You teased, lightly pushing away from him.

"Noooo! Don't go!" Hoseok squeezed your body closer to his.

"Oh my—you're gonna cut off my breathing!" You laughed. Hoseok ignored all your protests which were pretty weak to begin with. The thing you didn't expect him to do was lift you in the air. All of a sudden, you couldn't feel the ground underneath your feet. Hoseok held you up and began running with you in his arms. You squealed in slight terror and joy. It was a rush of adrenaline you didn't think you would be getting so early in the morning. "H-Hoseok! Put me down!"

"No!"

Hoseok caused quite the scene. You were just grateful that no one had to witness it. He refused to put you down until there was only one minute before the bell rang. After he put you down, his back got quite the smack from you. Hoseok admitted that he probably deserved it but was more impressed with the power your hit had. You actually didn't mean to hit him that hard. You had to pretend you meant it since it looked like you gained extra respect from the popular male. He dropped you off at your class, immediately catching attention of others. People noticed and a couple guys crowded Hoseok to walk with him to his next class.

There goes Mr. Popular.

It was strange how popular Hoseok was at times. It's not like he came from a rich family or was the smartest student at school. He came from nothing of value to most students here. The only thing he had was his positive outlook on life and friendly personality. It was something people gravitated towards. He would occasionally come off as too strong. Mainly to people who weren't outgoing or as charismatic as he was. Though the people who usually latched onto him were fake jerks, Hoseok has learned his lesson. That's why he stays with you guys. His new friend group with Yoongi, Namjoon, and you. It's a good thing Hoseok doesn't get picked on here at Sehwang.

You on the other hand...you're more free game. People don't insult you out right. They only do it murmurs when passing by. Light scoffs over their shoulders or with the roll of their eyes. Since you offer nothing of value in their eyes, all they see is a public student. You don't get what these private students have shoved so far up their @sses, but you've learned to ignore it. It doesn't happen that much anymore now anyway. They know the delinquent, Min Yoongi, will cuss them out and make them regret being born. They know you're friends with the genius of the school, Kim Namjoon, who has you under his wing. Lastly, they know now that the golden ray of sunshine, Jung Hoseok, is your friend as well.

When lunch rolled around, you were feeling light on your feet. Class had been spent daydreaming about a happy friendship among you and the boys. You just really enjoyed the idea of being able to go to the mall with all three of the boys and not having them fight once. Not that Hoseok was one to ever start fights. He only ever teases unlike Namjoon and Yoongi who can get passive aggressive. If they're pushed too far, they won't hold back. That's the last thing you need so this plan better work. You had a strong feeling it would. You don't know how, but it would. It was a gut feeling and those never lie. Right?

You made it to the cafeteria with an extra lunch made for Yoongi. When you entered the large room, you spotted Yoongi and Namjoon right away. Yoongi sat in the regular windowsill looking out the window while Namjoon sat to the one next to him, yawning. They silently sat in their spots without even looking at each other. You can't wait to fix that. As you walked over, your eyes landed on Hoseok. The boy was making his way between the tables until his old friends called his name. They caught his attention and he couldn't just ignore them. Hoseok was too kind. He would never act coldly even if he felt uncomfortable talking to them. He awkwardly waved at them. Before they could drag him over to their table, you hollered Hoseok's name. The two of you have a plan to go through with!

Hoseok bowed to his old friend as an apology. He scurried away and over to you with grateful eyes. He muttered a 'thank you'. It was nothing. You knew Hoseok had nothing against them. His trust in them was a little broken though due to them not wanting to be his partner during math class. Plus, all his real friends telling him to stay away. That left him on edge and he trusted you guys more. You've gotten a lot better at detecting fake friends because of middle school. Unfortunately for Hoseok, being a super friendly person sometimes blinded him from seeing that in people. He naturally wanted to see the best in them.

"Hey guys!!" Hoseok said overly cheery. He normally didn't sound like that. It made you want to scream inside with how obvious he sounded. Namjoon stared at Hoseok while Yoongi already had a brow raised. Now Yoongi was suspicious with Hoseok and his potential intentions. Great.

"What do you want?" Yoongi narrowed his eyes on the male.

"W-What do you mean?" Hoseok flinched.

"You're...happy. _Too_ happy." Yoongi looked Hoseok over. You handed Yoongi his lunch, lightly smacking his shoulder.

"He's just happy to see you guys." You shook your head. You hoped you would only make Yoongi sound paranoid. It's not like he was right to be alert.

"And why would he be happy?" Yoongi grumbled before letting out a sigh. He wasn't going to bother with this any longer. Especially with Hoseok beginning to pout like a child and with you giving him a gentle glare to knock it off. He took the lunch box you made for him and smiled. "Thank you for the food, (F/n)."

"You're welcome. Now eat up already." You pulled out your own lunch.

"You're happy because you saw the grade we got on our last project, huh?" Namjoon straightened his posture. He grinned with excitement, but it didn't match the same feeling Hoseok was radiating. Hoseok tried not to look confused at his friend's question.

"Uh...I mean, that was pretty nice I guess—"

"Hoseok is too nice to tell you that you're a nerd." Yoongi laughed as he took a bite of the sandwich. Hoseok started stuttering all over the place. He waved his arms around, trying to assure Namjoon that's not what he meant. He didn't want to hurt Namjoon's feelings and the president knew that. He knew Hoseok was innocent. But Yoongi's tone of voice didn't pass off as playful joking. Namjoon looked over at Yoongi with a glare you weren't too happy with.

"I was only making a simple guess." Namjoon huffed in a deep voice. Yoongi wiped his mouth, annoyed already.

"You really don't know what a joke is?"

"Namjoon!!" Hoseok shouted, grabbing the male by his blazer. Yoongi's scowl disappeared as Namjoon panicked. The plan hadn't even started, but everything was crumbling. Hoseok shook Namjoon back and forth, faking pure excitement once again. "I started choreographing to one of the songs you have in your playlist!" Hoseok finally stopped shaking him.

"O-Oh, you did?" Namjoon's face was a bit pale. Either from the shaking or the fact that his music was brought up. Yoongi continued to eat his food but glanced over at the two. It's happening! You tried your best to act natural. It was so hard to eat when you felt like this moment would change everything. Right when things were turning to sh*t, it was suddenly turned around.

"Yeah! I was having trouble deciding at first since you have over a million to choose from—" Hoseok's volume was leaving Namjoon uncomfortable. He sat nervously, not enjoying how some students were glancing in their way. Even if it was just a glance, Namjoon didn't want them listening in it seems.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration." Namjoon shook his head.

"Not really!" Hoseok wouldn't stop smiling. He was beginning to feel confident in his plan. Yoongi gave you a confused expression, not understanding the scene occurring right next to him. "But yeah, as I was saying, I choose this one song because it really fit my hip-hop background in dancing!"

"Hoseok." Namjoon's voice almost sounded like it was warning him. Yoongi had scoffed at the words leaving Hoseok's mouth.

"I didn't know you were into r—"

"—Classical. I'm into classical music. It helps me study." Namjoon snapped. Hoseok finally shut his mouth, realizing that he wasn't helping anything. You didn't understand what was going on anymore. Namjoon persisted adamantly that he was into no other genre. "I'm glad you could find something...now please sit down and eat your lunch before time runs out."

Hoseok nodded his head quietly. He didn't say another word as he sat down in his spot in front of the windowsill. Namjoon's face was paler than you've ever seen it. There were slight red patches along his neck and his ears were on fire. You were so addled as to why he had snapped. Making eye contact with Hoseok, he only shrugged weakly. Talking about music with Namjoon was immediately shut down. It made no sense. Was he embarrassed? Namjoon rubbed his neck and drank almost an entire bottle of water. Meanwhile all that happened, Yoongi sat next to you and finished his entire lunch for the day. He closed the cap and returned it back to you.

"Thanks again..." Yoongi placed it in your hands. Holding the plastic red box, you brought it closer to your chest.

"Hey, when do you think we'll go see your fanboys again?" You asked. Yoongi's grateful smile vanished in seconds. His eyes widened, quickly checking the two males next to you guys. The others were clueless though as if they never heard.

"What are you doing?" Yoongi whispered. "I have no such thing."

"Come on. You know...I'd love to see you on stage and r—"

"_Shut. Up._" Yoongi hissed. He didn't want to hear you say the word 'rap' so publicly. He didn't want the others to know about his interests or whereabouts. Yoongi muttered an apology before joining the others in the awkward silence.

At first, you felt a bit hurt and baffled as to why he wouldn't let you mention it. But you remembered that he kept it secret from you too in the beginning. He assured you constantly that it was insomnia. It was only his bad sleeping habits causing him to be sleepy. It was all secrets until you finally got your way through to him with effort. He's not going to randomly open up to Hoseok and never to Namjoon at this rate either. In the end, Hoseok and you remained unsuccessful. The two of you _did_ successfully make them upset though. Not that that did anyone any favors.

Things were especially awkward after school. No one really spoke during the walk to Namjoon's house. It's not like Namjoon's house was just across the street either. Going to his house took fifteen minutes at most. All that time and four people never said a word to each other. It was worse than you thought. Namjoon awkwardly cleared his throat when he let all of you enter his house. Everyone moved stiffly, afraid to make the wrong move. It wasn't until all of you were seated at the kitchen table that Hoseok attempted to make some jokes. Something to make things feel a little lighter.

"So...Mr. Kim is pretty old, huh?" Hoseok started. Namjoon's eyes left the textbook to stare at him in confusion. While those two gave weak smiles, Yoongi immediately looked at you with a tiny smirk. The corner of his lip tugged itself higher up to see your annoyed expression.

"He's not old." You sighed.

"Too old for you," Yoongi said as he leaned back in his chair. Hoseok laughed harder than he intended to. It slipped and he realized he made that mistake once he got a strong glare from you. Namjoon was starting to become interested in the conversation.

"It's not like I'm gonna date him! I'm just stating a fact! He's not old!" You frowned.

"Careful, (F/n). You're not legal yet." Namjoon warned you. "There's also the fact that you're a high school student and Mr. Kim is your math teacher." You felt blood rising up to your cheeks as they all snickered. Glad they can all get along when they make fun of your dumb crush. Though you meant that sarcastically, you noticed all of them relaxing. Fine. You'll take one for the team this time.

"Just for that, I'm going to marry Mr. Kim once I become legal." You crossed your arms. All three boys had hilarious reactions. Namjoon's face fell in shock that you would say such a thing. He couldn't believe it. Hoseok's giant grin turned into a disappointed and defeated pout. Then Yoongi looked extremely annoyed. You hope they know you're joking...but at the same, you'll run with this. "I guess I should start calling him Seokjin oppa now—"

"F*ck no!" Yoongi yelled.

"You can do way better than Mr. Kim! His jokes aren't even that good!" Hoseok shook his head.

"Please don't try seducing Mr. Kim," Namjoon pleaded you to move on.

This was all too funny. They were all losing it and rallying together. You enjoyed seeing the teamwork among them for once. All of them agreed that Mr. Kim was too old and that his jokes sucked. In short, all three of them were cruel to Mr. Kim. Mr. Kim deserved better than this, but you're slightly biased. You told the boys you were only messing around. Namjoon looked so relieved to hear that. Hoseok laughed, unsure if him laughing was actually appropriate or not. Lastly, Yoongi didn't trust you for sh*t. Once you turn legal, he's going to keep his eye on you.

You're glad this got them to relax though. Finally, the boys felt more comfortable talking to one another. Hoseok asked for a glass of water. Yoongi went to the restroom and Namjoon showed you a funny photo he was planning on sending to the popular boy. Things returned to normal thankfully. You have no idea if Hoseok and you can force Namjoon and Yoongi to become friends. It might be something that has to happen naturally.

Namjoon returned to tutoring all of you. It was mainly all review as well as an introduction to the material Mr. Kim would be introducing to all of you tomorrow. Namjoon was making sure to stay on top of it all. There was only thirty minutes left before tutoring officially ended. Everything was normal until you guys heard the sound of the front door open. It was closed in what you think was supposed to be a quiet attempt. Namjoon instantly stared at the clock before walking out of the kitchen. The rest of you quickly followed in curiosity. Right away, the four of you saw Taehyung holding his stomach with his hoodie over his head. He was going up the stairs slowly with Jimin trailing behind him.

"You're home," Namjoon stated. Taehyung and Jimin jumped, surprised to have been caught. Both boys stared at each other first before looking at you guys. It was really hard to see Taehyung's upper half of his face though.

"I am..." Taehyung continued to hunch his back.

"You didn't say you were home." Namjoon crossed his arms.

"Well, only because you told me I didn't have to!" Taehyung frowned.

"...I'd still like to know." Namjoon shrugged. Hoseok and Yoongi chuckled while you shook your head. Was it really so hard for Namjoon to say he cared for his little brother? "Where were you two? This is the latest you guys have ever come."

"W-We came back from dance class." Jimin rubbed the back of his neck. Jimin then glanced at his arm in panic. Namjoon's lips thinned once Jimin quickly put his arm down. Hoseok stepped closer in worry, all of you noticing their strange behavior. Jimin had a green bruise on his wrist that he was now covering with his hand.

"Did class end late?" Namjoon asked.

"Why so many questions!?" Taehyung whined. "We have to go, Hyung! We have to start working on a project so—"

"What are you hiding, you little punk?" Yoongi stopped beating around the bush. Namjoon didn't hesitate to smack Yoongi. Muttering that he's the only one allowed to call Taehyung names. Hoseok told them to stop fighting. The two boys were on the move. Taehyung and Jimin were running up the stairs until Taehyung slipped. He fell on the steps, his hood quickly falling backwards. Jimin whined, trying to block Taehyung from the rest of you. It was too late. Namjoon gritted his teeth to see a fresh bruise on his little brother's face.

"Tae..." Your eyes widened.

"Taehyung!" Namjoon ran towards the stairs.

"N-No!" Taehyung almost made it to the top of the stairs by crawling. Jimin bit his bottom lip, paralyzed as Namjoon grabbed the puppy. Hoseok bolted right after to look over Jimin. The baby chick was tense and Hoseok sighed to see a rather long cut on the temple of Jimin's head.

"Where did these come from?" Namjoon's expression darkened. The puppy was trembling and the baby chick was beginning to cry at this point. Yoongi swore under his breath, going over to the stairwell while you still couldn't believe your eyes. Who would ever want to hurt these precious boys? Jimin cried into Hoseok's chest, the elder rubbing his back to comfort him.

"Hyung, they're nothing!" Taehyung pouted.

"They're not nothing! Who hurt you!?" Namjoon forced the younger one to make eye contact with him. "Who did this to you and Jimin?"

"We...we got them from dance class. Dance injuries," Taehyung grumbled.

"Yeah, because you definitely got cuts from ballet." Yoongi narrowed his eyes on the puppy. At that point, Taehyung was struggling to hide it any longer at this point. Jimin was already breaking down and Taehyung clutched onto Namjoon. The puppy whimpered, apologizing for the lies he made up. Yoongi told them that you guys would talk in the living room. Namjoon nodded his head as he brought the puppy down the stairs. Hoseok continued to pet the baby chick with Yoongi following behind. Seeing the two boys injured with tears in their eyes was a lot to handle. A lump formed in your throat to your surprise. A burning sensation appeared at the center of your chest.

You wanted answers. You went into the living room with the rest of them. Jimin and Taehyung were set down on the couch. Both of them were getting over their emotional outburst. Taehyung sniffled, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his uniform meanwhile Jimin took the tissue Hoseok handed him. The three gentlemen sat in front of the boys, frowning at the sight. It was heart breaking to see. You haven't known them for long, but they've already earned a special place in your heart. You walked next to the three highschoolers, standing right behind them. It felt like everyone took in a deep breath before getting into it.

"So...can you tell me why you guys are hurt?" Namjoon asked in a calmer tone. He didn't want to have them clam up and keep secrets. He was clearly worried no matter how hard he tried to hide it from his face and voice. It was evident in his eyes.

"...we defended the new kid," Taehyung mumbled. "The o-one always getting hurt by the ninth graders."

"Did you guys not report it?" Namjoon frowned.

"They didn't do anything." Jimin crushed the tissue in his hand. Yoongi sighed, knowing this was going to be the result. Namjoon only sat in disbelief. If Taehyung and Jimin were left like this from one encounter, how was the new boy left from continuous attacks?

"And you guys took it into your own hands?" Hoseok tilted his head. The two children nodded their heads quietly.

They did want to make it clear though that they didn't start the fight. All they did was confront the bullies. Once they realized it wasn't going well for them, they told the new kid to run for it. Taehyung and Jimin took some of the hits until the ninth graders ran for it. They thought they heard school faculty nearby pretty soon. According to Taehyung and Jimin, they barely got roughened up. Namjoon was about to say otherwise until Yoongi agreed. Compared to what some bullies do, they came home better than most. Hoseok and Namjoon didn't know what to say.

It's not like you had anything to say either. Namjoon couldn't trust the middle school anymore. They didn't protect the new kid nor his little brother and his best friend. It was exactly like Yoongi had predicted. Hoseok gave the two boys giant hugs in hopes of making them feel better. That's when you decided that you wanted to help too. Going over to Namjoon, you asked where the first aid kit was. You quickly went to get it. The faster the boys get those injuries treated, the better. Taehyung was the first one you started with. Then you took care of Jimin second, the two boys no longer frowning now that they had three hyungs and a noona to protect them.

"I found some stuff in the kitchen." Yoongi stepped into the room. Heads turned to see Yoongi with two large tubs of ice cream. Taehyung and Jimin squealed in excitement at the sight. Their eyes were huge and they could barely sit still anymore. Hoseok laughed at their reactions while Namjoon smiled softly at them.

"Good call," Namjoon said to the redhead. Yoongi set down the ice cream on the coffee table, giving Namjoon a light smile in return.

"I think I have Oreos in my backpack!" Hoseok rushed to the kitchen.

"Please get them!!" Taehyung shouted.

"Do we have sprinkles?" Jimin looked at Namjoon.

"Of course." Namjoon's dimples began to show. He nodded, watching the baby chick giggle in his seat. Namjoon slowly stood up, but you lifted your hands to stop him.

"I'll get it. Spend time with your brother." You patted his shoulder. Namjoon stared at you silently before agreeing. He took a seat next to Taehyung, immediately dealing with a cuddly puppy.

"OREOS!!" Hoseok ran inside, holding the package in the air. Jimin cheered and Yoongi told him to get seated already. It's time to eat ice cream.


	18. Bullies

Ch.18

Namjoon yawned as he stepped inside the classroom. He was the last one to arrive out of the four of you. Hoseok was here from the beginning while Yoongi and you came together as always. The three of you automatically started yelling at the president's arrival. Hoseok was chanting Namjoon's name, Yoongi wanted to know why he was late, and you were cheering about the president's arrival. Chaos was already starting so early in the morning. Namjoon furrowed his brows and shook his head. He immediately told all of you to quiet down. He also muttered that he wasn't late which wasn't true. He came later than usual is what all of you were trying to say.

The president seemed more tired lately. There are some days where he looks completely sleep deprived and other days where he looks on top of his game. It always felt like a cycle. The difference with lately was that he wasn't returning to tip top shape. It was taking him some time possibly. Anytime Hoseok or you asked, Namjoon would say it was due to studying. He needed to keep his grades perfect. Focus on class president responsibilities. Plus, learn the following lessons early in order to properly teach them to you guys. He had a lot on his plate so you understood that. Sometimes he would complain about Taehyung bothering him all the time. He still loves his little brother though.

Then there was Hoseok with his own little brother, Jimin. The baby chick now comes to the Kim household every day after school. Anytime he gets the chance, he talks to Hoseok about dance. The boy is mesmerized with the videos Hoseok has sent to him. It's a style of dance he's never been exposed too. On the occasion, Hoseok shows Jimin little moves he can practice on. The two have gotten closer than ever before. Jimin was starting to have stars in his eyes when he looked at Hoseok. Complete admiration for his hyung. It was the same look you saw in Taehyung's eyes when he stared at Namjoon. It's the most adorable thing.

Namjoon patted Hoseok's shoulder. The bell had just rung which meant they had to get into their seats already. Hoseok pouted but followed the president. Other students were settling down as they bell stopped. Mr. Kim was at the front of the classroom, looking through papers urgently. It stayed silent the first couple of seconds of class. It wasn't long before Mr. Kim became aware of this and laughed awkwardly. He continued to search for something, saying the class would begin in just a moment. People kept their eyes on the handsome teacher who eventually found what he was looking for. He smiled at it, his eyes soon landing on Namjoon.

"Class president, do you mind bringing this to the office?" Mr. Kim held the papers out towards the student. Namjoon nodded as he reached for the papers. "And you'll have a meeting after school today. Sorry for the sudden notice."

"A meeting?" Namjoon held the papers, raising a brow at the teacher. "Is it urgent?"

"Not really, but you will have to bring a student volunteer." Mr. Kim gave the boy an apologetic smile for telling him this a bit late. Namjoon frowned at the idea of bringing a student volunteer. As he looked around the classroom, students kept their arms crossed and refused to make eye contact with him. For some reason, the people in your grade were not fans of Namjoon. They saw him more as competition than anything. This entire school was based off competition so you could understand why. But it only made Namjoon feel lonely to see no hands go up. Until one finally did, their fingers wiggling to grab his attention. Namjoon chuckled and Mr. Kim stated that it was settled. Jung Hoseok and Kim Namjoon would be going to the meeting after school.

Namjoon muttered a 'thank you' to Hoseok. The golden boy grinned as if it was nothing even though he had no idea what he signed himself up for. Namjoon stepped out of the class to bring up the paper. The second he left the class, a boy near you guys started talking rudely about the president. You didn't really know him that well. The only thing you knew for sure was that he was the second smartest in your entire grade and that's why he hated Namjoon. You were immediately getting annoyed with hearing his voice. Mr. Kim was starting class but couldn't hear the frustrating student. Hoseok and you were glaring until a fist landed roughly against a desk.

The boy quickly shut up, flinching at the loud sound. Everyone in class became quiet at the sudden noise. Mr. Kim even jumped high in the air when he heard it. People turned to the source of the sound. And you smiled seeing Yoongi with his tight fist still pressed against the desk. Soon he shook his hand out and told Mr. Kim to continue class. Mr. Kim only nodded and went right back to what he was doing. What was this? Your eyes found Hoseok at the front of the room, grinning like two idiots. Does this mean Yoongi doesn't hate Namjoon anymore?

That was a very thrilling moment to live through. You would have told Namjoon all about it if it weren't for the fact that it involved someone bad mouthing him to the class. That was the one bad thing about the story. Everything else was amazing to witness. Eventually Namjoon came back and the day went on as normal. Mr. Kim gave the class the last five minutes to do whatever they wanted. Hoseok and Namjoon stood up right away to go to the back of the classroom. Namjoon came to Yoongi and you with a plan already in his head about after school.

Since Namjoon and Hoseok had to go to the meeting, you guys would have to go to his house first. The only difference with this time was that he wasn't going to have Taehyung meet up with you guys. He wanted you two to pick him up from school. Once Hoseok heard that you two got to do that, he regretted lifting his hand. He wanted so badly to pick up Jimin from school like an older brother. He already had the whole idea of it planned out in his head. Namjoon didn't hesitate to smack the back of Hoseok's head. He's not asking you guys to pick up Taehyung just because. Taehyung can find his way home perfectly fine by himself.

"Then why do they get to pick him up?" Hoseok pouted, rubbing the back of his head.

"I just...I want them to check if Taehyung is safe and Jimin as well. Check out his school." Namjoon leaned against a desk. As he said all this, you noticed how he refused to make eye contact with anybody. He found it so hard to be vulnerable around all of you. Simply saying he worried for his family was causing him to become stiff and nervous.

"Oh...because of the bullies?" Hoseok lowered his voice.

"Have they—?" You started, but Namjoon shook his head.

"No. Taehyung tells me that they have no interest in him and Jimin. Only the new kid which makes no f*cking sense." Namjoon growled. Yoongi was surprised to see him getting so heated over this. His face was getting red with anger, a vein showing on his neck.

"And you want (F/n) and I to do what exactly?" Yoongi raised a brow. Namjoon pressed his lips tightly together to hear that. Almost as if he hated that he was caught. You didn't quite understand what Yoongi was going on about. Hoseok and you were baffled by what Yoongi was saying. The delinquent staring at the closed off president, acting as if he could read the other's soul. "Because I know you can pick up your own brother perfectly fine. What's the truth?"

"...Tae's healed up. I'm afraid he might start—"

"That ain't it." Yoongi shook his head. "Start again."

"What do you mean?" Namjoon narrowed his eyes on the male. Hoseok quickly placed his hand on Namjoon's shoulder. Something to warn him from starting a fight towards the end of class. Yoongi remained silent and only shrugged with a smug smile on his face. Namjoon chewed his lips, slowly releasing the tight fists he had. And as if Yoongi could understand Namjoon, the president let out a gentle sigh. "...if I see those f*ckers who beat up Taehyung and Jimin, I might give them a piece of my own mind without thinking."

"There we go." Yoongi smirked as Hoseok's eyes widened. "But you can't as class president. You have the best grades of everyone in the entire school."

"Yeah...but I'm assuming you and (F/n) will handle this better than me." Namjoon let his shoulders fall.

"I'll be logical and I won't start fights. I can promise you that already," You stated to earn a smile from Namjoon. He knew he could always trust you. With the care you treat Taehyung and Jimin with, he knew could depend on you. Then Yoongi only cracked his neck with a teasing grin.

"She'll cover the kid's eyes and I'll beat the sh*t out of the bullies." Yoongi sighed in relief. He grinned, meeting Namjoon's eyes. Namjoon didn't protest against Yoongi's little joke. Something that went completely over Hoseok's head as he panicked.

"Don't do that!" Hoseok shook his head rapidly. Yoongi only chuckled, rolling his eyes at the golden boy who went off about the importance of reputations and how Yoongi's was currently in the garbage.

"Thanks for that, d*ck."

"I'm trying to help!"

"Stop now before he beats you up too." You giggled. Hoseok knew you were joking, but his face paled a lot more than it should have.

Soon the bell rang and Hoseok returned to his original color. It took a heavy smack to the back from Namjoon, but Hoseok got over it. All of you said goodbye, saying you'll see them again during lunch. You parted ways with the them and made your way to your class. As you got closer to your next class, you saw the same guy who spoke rudely about Namjoon. He was walking down the hall with a stormy expression. You didn't care until he roughly bumped his shoulder into yours. That b*tch. Though you were beyond pissed off, you told yourself to just go to your class. Bullies are a pain.

At least lunch came by faster than you thought it would. Today was another day that you had specially prepared a lunch for Yoongi again. Though he told you it wasn't necessary and he's fine with getting the scraps of the school lunches, you like seeing his face when he eats your food. He always looks super happy and it makes you feel good. Since Yoongi gets to eat your food almost all the time, you've made Namjoon and Hoseok curious. Those two always ask if you can make them something too. At this point, you might as well start getting paid. Preparing lunches for three growing boys isn't going to be cheap.

You arrived at the windowsill and sat down next to Yoongi. Namjoon and Hoseok showed up, already talking about class. Wherever Hoseok was in his story, Yoongi and you were already startled. Hoseok said someone had lost an arm. You needed a little more context to that and so did Yoongi. Namjoon laughed as Hoseok prepared himself to start from the beginning all over again. He had just come back from a crazy science class where they dissected frogs. You began to relax at that point knowing it wasn't a human who had lost their arm.

As Hoseok told his story, you noticed a well dressed figure enter the cafeteria. They entered the room and looked over the students quietly. You glanced at Yoongi right away, but he was oblivious to Principal Yoo's presence. The older man walked around calmly, doing a regular routine of checking up on the students. The moment his normal habit changed was the second his eyes found Yoongi. He completely ignored the fact that you had been staring at him so openly. Biting your lip, you felt your stomach flop when he started making his way over in Yoongi's direction. What is going on!? Yoongi continued to innocently eat, laughing at Hoseok's story.

The happy expression on Yoongi's face was short lived. Namjoon cleared his throat once he saw Principal Yoo a couple feet away. Yoongi naturally looked at what Namjoon was pointing out. It was evident how much Yoongi loathed being near the principal. It was so painful to deal with this atmosphere. Hoseok soon felt it, shutting up and turning around to see the administrator. The four of you were dead silent. Yoongi refused to make eye contact and continued eating as if everything was normal. Principal Yoo on the other hand only stared at the boy with dyed hair.

"Are all of you enjoying your lunch?" Principal Yoo asked. It felt so strange to be asked that when all his attention was only on one of you. None of you ate except for Yoongi. The rest of you felt too awkward to even breath. All of you looked over at Yoongi from the corner of your eyes.

"We are..." Namjoon answered.

"That's a nice lunch you got there." Principal Yoo tapped his shoe. Finally, Yoongi stopped eating and forced himself to look up at the man. "Did your mother make it for you?" Yoongi's annoyed stare quickly turned into a sharp glare at the mention of his mother. The boy was fuming and the rest of you didn't know what to do. He's the principal...

"No." Yoongi hissed through gritted teeth.

"I-I made it," You said. For once, Principal Yoo looked at someone else other than the delinquent.

"Oh, that's very kind of you." Principal Yoo quickly returned his gaze to Yoongi. "Well, enjoy the rest of your lunch then."

"Y-You too!" Hoseok shouted to get kicked by Namjoon.

While Hoseok winced, Principal Yoo lightly bowed his head. He turned around and started walking out of the cafeteria. He adjusted his red tie as he left all of you stunned. Every interaction with him was the strangest thing. Especially when Yoongi was around. There was something about Yoongi that caused him to act that way. He's normally nice, but...a bit weird. Then Yoongi hates him despite never knowing him until he started going here. You had no clue as to why they behaved like this, but you were so glad it was over. Namjoon and you let out huge sighs of relief from that torturous moment. It went on for far too long. Hoseok grinned as he faced Yoongi, the redhead keeping his burning glare on the Principal.

"That was weird, huh?" Hoseok started but was ignored. Yoongi set down the lunch you made him and started marching his way towards the principal. What was he doing? All of you pretended not to pay attention as Yoongi clearly whisper yelled at the principal. Yoongi had stopped the man and started ranting right away. You were waiting for Principal Yoo to snap back at Yoongi for acting so disrespectful, but that never happened. Yoongi marched his way back over and Principal Yoo only watched him with a sad and hurt expression. Once Yoongi sat back on the windowsill, the three of you all started talking randomly.

"Stop." Yoongi huffed. "Don't worry about it. He's just a pain, but I dealt with him. Continue with your frog story, Hoseok."

"Oh, right!" Hoseok perked up. "As I was saying! I slipped on frog intestines and—"

Lunch was interesting, but it managed to return to normal. All that was left of the day was finishing the last class. After that, the plan would go in motion. Namjoon had already texted Taehyung that Yoongi and you would be picking him up. Him and Hoseok would be a little late due to a class meeting. Taehyung texted back that he was excited and that Jimin had no dance class today. That meant Yoongi and you would be picking them both up. You didn't mind at all. The more the merrier and you adored the two anyway. Yoongi acted as if he didn't care and he probably didn't as much as you, but you knew he liked the puppy and the baby chick too.

The school bell rang and you were ready to leave. Students packed up their belongings, some leaving with friends and some going up to the teacher with questions. You made your way to the front of the school. Yoongi would be waiting for you at the front of the gates like he always did. Since the two of you would be walking alone, it would be like old times. Except he wouldn't go on the bus with you. Smiling at the memory, you felt someone tap your forehead. You jumped until you saw Yoongi laughing in front of you. Of course, he would do that.

The two of you started walking over to the middle school. Yoongi wasn't too familiar with the town so you did the leading. Based off Taehyung and Jimin's school uniform, you knew they went to the private middle school. It wasn't too far from the high school. Yoongi trailed behind you with one earbud in, softly playing music. He was walking pretty slow so it felt like you had to drag him at times. If you weren't pulling him along, he would get hit by a car while walking across the street.

Yoongi and you eventually arrived at the middle school. You've passed it before, but you've never really stared at it in detail. It wasn't a castle like Sehwang, but you could tell that's what they were going for. Since you weren't rich enough or smart enough, you didn't go here. But at least you got into Sehwang! Then Yoongi stared at the middle school as if it was from another planet. He couldn't believe there was a middle school so pointlessly huge. You had to agree that it was a bit much, but what could you do? Looking down at your phone, you checked the text Namjoon left. Taehyung and Jimin would be waiting for you guys near the front gates.

Now all you guys had to do was wait. The bell had already rung since the school lets out thirty minutes after Sehwang does. Many little students came crawling out like ants and it was reminding you of your old days. You weren't a fan of the flashbacks. Though you hated your entire middle school experience, Taehyung and Jimin are the cutest students to ever exist. They're genuinely pure and good hearted unlike some people. But that's just you being bitter. Yoongi took out his earbud to look for them. So far there wasn't anyone who looked like the little puppy and baby chick.

"Where are they?" Yoongi sighed. The school was already becoming half empty. Kids were riding off on their bikes, getting yelled at by adults to walk until they get off school campus. A few were going home on foot while the rest entered expensive looking cars. The parking lot was huge and overfilled, but it became empty before you knew it. Yoongi was growing impatient with the two boys. He didn't want to stand outside longer than he had to. "Do you have Taehyung's number?"

"No." You shook your head, biting your lip. "Namjoon is busy with the meeting and so is Hoseok..."

"Kim Taehyung!! Park Jimin!!" Yoongi shouted. You blushed out of embarrassment. What was he doing? Luckily, there were less than five students beyond the gates. They stared at the two of you like you guys were creepy strangers. That wasn't the case at all!

"Don't yell," You muttered.

"It's not like I'm a predator." Yoongi rolled his eyes. As soon as he finished that sentence, the two of you heard feet pounding on the pavement. Heavy panting and the faint yelling of Yoongi's name. Furrowing your brows, you saw a startled Taehyung and Jimin turn the corner. They ran to the two of you with desperate expressions. You've never seen them look so distressed before. "What's wrong?"

"Hyung, help him!" Jimin immediately tugged on Yoongi's sleeve.

"They're hurting him again, Hyung! Please!" Taehyung pleaded, sounding like he would never forgive himself if he did nothing.

"Where is he?" Yoongi became serious. His annoyed attitude from waiting quickly turned into thin air the second the boys asked him for help. He dropped everything to follow Taehyung who led him into the school. You frowned, grabbing Jimin's hand and letting him take you where the poor bullied boy was. It was further into the school near the back of the buildings. No wonder they took a while to get to you guys. Once the four of you arrived, you froze right away at the sight. Jimin hugged you and pressed his face at your side. Yoongi told Taehyung to stay close to you because things could get ugly. Taehyung nodded his head, quickly copying Jimin's actions by clinging to your side as well.

Yoongi cracked his knuckles, knowing this wasn't going to be fixed peacefully. Things like this were never fixed peacefully. It was something Yoongi knew all too well. Four lanky ninth graders were standing in a tight circle, blocking the seventh grader from sight. Though Yoongi wasn't the tallest, he still had more height compared to the ninth graders. Yoongi stepped closer, annoyed to see the bullies acting as if they were invincible. A fire was burning in his chest, but he stopped the second he heard a weak whimper. The boy. You heard it too, holding Taehyung and Jimin even closer for comfort.

"Get away from him." Yoongi growled. The bullies turned to face Yoongi in surprise at his low and aggressive voice. They tried to act tough, but you knew they were nervous to see his uniform. He was older than them. As soon as the bullies stepped away from their circle, it allowed you to see the bullied boy. He poked his head up, injuries covering his face that it made your blood boil. His eyes were black and doe eyed, wide with fear. He looked like a tiny bunny about to be scarfed down by wolves.

"What's your problem?" One of the bullies had the audacity to put up a fight.

"You think you can go around picking on kids for fun?" Yoongi tilted his head, intimidating the four bullies. Yoongi was already taking steps towards them to show he wasn't afraid of kicking their @sses in return. "You think you can do that and get away with it forever?"

"Are you trying to start something?" Another pushed Yoongi back to keep him away. Yoongi scowled right away, disgusted that one of the bullies touched him. Jimin buried his face into your uniform jacket the moment Yoongi grabbed the bully roughly by his collar. He had grabbed the shortest one, quickly bringing his fist to meet the shorty's face. The shorty groaned at the popping sound that made you feel faint. Blood was already rushing down shorty's nose and it wasn't pretty to stare at.

"Don't touch me again, motherf*cker." Yoongi threw him to the ground. Yoongi had the eyes of a tiger ready to tear everything around him to shreds. "Or do. I dare you to f*cking try." Yoongi was making the bullies gulp at this point. The shorty with a bleeding nose was gasping, claiming Yoongi had broken his nose. The swears leaving shorty's mouth weren't helping him. He quickly got a kick to the face by the furious tiger.

"Okay, we get it! Stop!" One with piercings shouted. Yoongi didn't believe it for a second. If he stopped now then things would only get worse for the scared little bunny. Yoongi had to finish the job so none of them would bother him anymore. Without a second thought, Yoongi went for the boy with piercings. You had to cover Taehyung's eyes right away. Yoongi could get a lot more violent than you thought. He twisted the pierced boy's arm and tore off an ear piercing. The amount of force that must have taken made your knees feel weak. You were never a huge fan of seeing blood if you were being honest. As long as Jimin and Taehyung don't see what their hyung is doing though.

"This is a warning." Yoongi tossed the piercing at the boy's face. "Stay away."

"You're crazy!!" The guy shouted, wincing as he covered his ear with his hand.

"You say that as if you didn't start this..." Yoongi glared at them. A shiver ran down the spines of the bullies. Yoongi took another step closer and they finally began to back off. The shorty ran away first, clasping onto his nose and leaving drops of blood on the cement. The one covering his ear took a step back as Yoongi teased one of the bullies by pulling them by their jacket collar.

"S-Stop!" They tried shoving him off.

"Run." Yoongi released him. All of the bullies didn't have to be told twice. Yoongi wasn't afraid to make bones break or let blood spill. That was a lot more than the bruising they caused to the seventh graders. The ninth graders vanished and it was safe for the boys at your sides to look again. Taehyung and Jimin stared up at you with big eyes as if to silently ask if the bullies were truly gone. You had a strong feeling that they were. After seeing what Yoongi was capable of, you doubt they would want to mess with the bunny anymore.

Speaking of the little bunny, he pushed himself up to a sitting position. He no longer curled himself into a tiny ball on the floor. You frowned to see the poor bunny's busted lip, bruised cheek, and black eye. That wasn't the only damage the bullies caused either. The bunny continued to clutch onto his stomach from all the kicks he had to take. Yoongi turned his head to the bunny, slowly walking over to him now that the bullies were gone. You felt a tug at your heart when the bunny scooted away from Yoongi. You could understand why. Yoongi went hard on those ninth graders even if it was to protect him.

Yoongi reached his hand towards the trembling bunny. The boy was brunette and appeared fragile. Mainly from all the injuries he had on his skin. His uniform was dirty, a bit ripped at some seams too. It made Yoongi click his tongue in frustration. The small bunny noticed Taehyung and Jimin with you on the side. Both boys were calming down from the terrifying situation. At the sight of them, the bunny was beginning to relax. He turned to look at Yoongi again with wide eyes. He looked over the tired teenager who was a ferocious tiger a few seconds prior.

"You're okay now. You're safe." Yoongi held his hand out, waiting for the bunny to cooperate. The bunny looked over at Taehyung and Jimin to see them both nod. Without hesitation, the bunny took Yoongi's hand and stood up. "They'll never hurt you again. Ever."

"...t-thank you." The bunny croaked. Tears were already leaving the boy's face.

"Don't cry!" Jimin frowned.

"The bullies are gone!" Taehyung shouted.

"Those are tears of relief," You told the boys. Taehyung and Jimin realized what you meant. They smiled at each other as Yoongi petted the bunny's head.

"What's your name?" Yoongi asked in a gentle voice.

"J-Jeon Jungkook." He sniffled. He wiped his nose with the sleeve of his jacket before Yoongi made the decision on his own.

"Would you like to come somewhere safe with us? To Taehyung's house?" Yoongi questioned. Jungkook looked over at Taehyung with teary eyes. At the chance of gaining a new friend, Taehyung waved excitedly. Jimin gave the boy a friendly smile to show he had nothing to fear with you guys. Jungkook slowly turned to look up at Yoongi once again. With a gentle nod, the four of you took Jungkook home to the Kim household.

The first thing you did was look for the first aid kit. Yoongi sat Jungkook down and spoke to him with the two boys at his side. Yoongi didn't want to intimidate Jungkook, but it didn't look like he was doing that anymore. Jungkook was becoming comfortable with the help of Taehyung and Jimin. The previous efforts of Taehyung and Jimin to befriend the bunny helped gained Jungkook's trust. Then Yoongi's protection was something Jungkook couldn't thank him enough for him. Jungkook kept thanking him and Yoongi gave him the same answer every time. It was nothing.

You soon came by with the first aid kit you used to treat Taehyung and Jimin. Both boys had ran into the kitchen to get Jungkook ice cream. They found out that that was the best comfort food in the entire world. There was nothing ice cream couldn't help. Jungkook winced any time you cleaned the scrapes on his skin or touched tender skin. It made you feel so bad for him. You've never had your heart ache so much before in your life. Yoongi asked Jungkook if his stomach was bruised too. It was something he noticed earlier at the school.

"Yeah..." Jungkook lifted up his shirt a few inches above his belly button. There was a large purple bruise that left you speechless.

"Use this ointment." Yoongi handed him a cream from the kit. Jungkook lowered his shirt, taking the cream and smiled. He held it close to his chest as the two boys entered the room with ice cream.

"Look what we have!" Taehyung held it high up in the air.

"Ice cream!" Jimin cheered.

"Lower that down before you drop it." Yoongi sighed. Right away, Taehyung obeyed the order without question. They brought it over to Jungkook who's smile grew bigger. It made you feel better to see his cute front two teeth. Yoongi told the boy to enjoy the treat and that there was no rush. You were a bit surprised with how well Yoongi spoke to the bunny.

Before you could say something, the front door of the house opened. Taehyung and Jimin started bouncing in excitement. Their hyungs had arrived home. Taehyung instantly started gushing to Jungkook about Namjoon. Jimin wasn't wasting time either to state how awesome Hoseok was. Jungkook stared at them with big doe eyes, a spoon in his mouth. Yoongi shook his head at the boys and pointed out the fact that Hoseok and Jimin weren't even related. Hoseok was just an older friend and that offended Jimin. That's when Namjoon and Hoseok stepped into the room, surprised to see a new face at the house.

"Who is this?" Namjoon looked at his little brother. Taehyung instantly rushed to hug him, not wanting to let go.

"That's my friend, Jeon Jungkook." Taehyung grinned. Jimin pouted and ran to do the same with Hoseok. The popular boy laughed, happily hugging Jimin back.

"He's the boy we told you about," Jimin said.

"Oh really?" Hoseok looked Jungkook over, quickly noting the bandages and the first aid kit that was out. "How are you, Jungkookie?"

"I-I'm fine...now I am. Thanks to..." Jungkook glanced at Yoongi, a bit embarrassed and shy.

"I beat up his bullies," Yoongi flat out stated.

"You what!?" Hoseok screamed.

"Normally...I wouldn't condone that...but—" Namjoon sighed.

"But!? Namjoon, are you hearing yourself?" Hoseok huffed.

"It's okay, Hoseok. It was kind of necessary..." You shrugged your shoulders. Hoseok wasn't a huge fan of violence. Though he understood the situation, you knew he would have preferred a peaceful solution. Namjoon managed to pry off Taehyung and pull out his phone. Taehyung frowned, trying not to stare jealously at Jimin and Hoseok. It wasn't long before Hoseok pulled away from Jimin to see what Namjoon was doing. The president walked over to the bunny, holding out his phone to him.

"Do you have a parent we can call to pick you up when it's time? You can stay here longer if you want." Namjoon smiled. Everyone stared at the bunny who only shook his head.

"No...I only have my Eomma and she works all the time." Jungkook played with his fingers. He had finished his ice cream, the bowl now on the coffee table. Yoongi sighed as he grabbed a napkin, seeing the chocolate around the bunny's lips. Yoongi wiped the boy's mouth, surprising Hoseok and Namjoon entirely.

"Is there anyone else?" Yoongi finished cleaning the boy up. Jungkook was bright pink from all the attention, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"I-I have an uncle who watches me. My samchon." Jungkook grabbed Namjoon's phone. All of you stayed quiet as Jungkook dialed the number. He brought up the phone to his ear and waited for his uncle to pick up. The two had a short conversation. Basically, Jungkook decided to stay for a couple more hours. He just needed his uncle to pick him up. Namjoon whispered the address and Jungkook cutely repeated it to his uncle. In the background, you could hear Taehyung telling Hoseok that Jungkook has barely turned thirteen. Meaning that he was not only younger than Jimin and Taehyung, but the baby. When Jungkook finished with the call, he handed Namjoon his phone back. "What do I do now?"

"Well..." Namjoon sighed heavily, looking around the room. "I guess there's no tutoring today."

"Seriously?" Hoseok sounded more excited than Namjoon wanted him to be. It was too late to dial it down though. Yoongi chuckled, up for anything that wasn't school related and you felt the same.

"Why don't we play games?" Namjoon suggested.

"Games!!" Taehyung threw his hands in the air.

"I'd like that." Jungkook nodded, cutely grinning. The corners of his eyes crinkled and your heart melted.

"Go get the games, Tae," Namjoon said as he began clearing the coffee table. Taehyung ran out the room with endless excitement. Yoongi took a seat next to Jungkook as Namjoon made the living room more spacious. Hoseok took a seat on a different couch and Jimin instantly sat next to him. You found everything too adorable as the puppy ran in with a couple board games in his arms. He wanted to sit next to his older brother, refusing to sit anywhere else.

That's how the day was spent. All of you played games together instead of studying and you much preferred this over the usual tutoring. It was a nice break that you needed. As you guys played, Jungkook's true personality was slowly coming out. He seemed to be competitive when it came to games. Not only that, but he was really good at them too. It felt like luck was on his side with all the times he won. No one really minded because of the huge smile Jungkook had on his face. He deserved to enjoy himself. He easily became friends with Taehyung and Jimin thanks to this. You were also glad that he got comfortable with the older people with him. He didn't have the best experience with older kids at first.

It eventually became night. It was six and that was the time you needed to get yourself home. Any longer and the boys would refuse to let you walk home alone. The only reason you wanted to stay just a bit longer was to see Jungkook get picked up. He was getting ready near the front door. Hoseok was holding Jimin's hand, already agreeing to walk the baby chick back to his parent's store. Taehyung stayed near Namjoon and sadly watched his friends get ready to leave. Then there was Yoongi who helped put on Jungkook's backpack and even tied his shoes for him.

"He's not five." Namjoon laughed.

"Shut up," Yoongi whispered not so quietly. Namjoon stopped laughing but tried not to get too upset in front of everyone.

"Are you ready to go home, Jungkook?" You asked the brunette.

"I guess..." Jungkook pouted. "I had a lot of fun here."

"You're welcome back any time!" Taehyung bounced.

"I come here all the time." Jimin smiled.

"This place is like the hang out spot." Hoseok squeezed Jimin's small hand. Namjoon sighed, agreeing with the popular boy. This place seems to get more guests every single day. It started with you and then things went crazy from there. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. That must be Jungkook's uncle to pick him up. Everyone started saying goodbye to the bunny who didn't want to go. Yoongi walked over to you, away from the door. Namjoon had gone up to open it since Yoongi didn't want to interact with anyone else. Namjoon opened the door and froze in shock. The door slowly opened wide, causing all the high school students in the room to stare in shock.

"Hi..." Jungkook grumbled.

"Hello everyone..." The uncle awkwardly waved.

"Mr. Kim!?" The four of you shouted. The middle schoolers all stared at you guys in surprise. All of you knew Jungkook's uncle?

"You know my samchon?" Jungkook tilted his head.

"He's our math teacher," Namjoon answered and cleared his throat. All of you didn't know what to do. It was strange seeing a teacher outside of school, but having them show up at your home? That was even weirder. You didn't know whether to bow or not. At the moment, you were in a strange middle where it just looked like you were hunching your back.

"Hey, Mr. Kim. This is weird." Hoseok laughed.

"A delightful surprise though." Mr. Kim grinned.

"I agree." You giggled as Yoongi rolled his eyes.

"I think this is just plain weird." Yoongi crossed his arms.

"Well, thank you for having Kookie over." Mr. Kim patted the bunny's back. It looked like Jungkook wasn't so happy to be around his uncle. He looked bored compared to his uncle who was treating him with affection. Was this the nephew that supposedly laughed at all his jokes? Yikes. "Say goodbye, Kookie. We're leaving now." Mr. Kim tried reaching for his hand. Jungkook quickly ran off to give Taehyung and Jimin candy that he had stored in his backpack. The young children giggled together, happily smiling at one another. Mr. Kim sighed softly, saying, "...it's nice to see Kookie getting along with others. He's very shy and usually always alone."

"Mr. Kim...I don't know if you know, but..." You started to see Mr. Kim nod.

"Trust me. I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "I reported it to the school, but there wasn't much they could do. I know I'm a part of the school system and I really shouldn't be saying this as a teacher but...sometimes school is absolute sh*t."

"Woah!" Namjoon's jaw almost dropped.

"Go off, Mr. Kim!!" Hoseok clapped. Jimin began to clap like his hyung, but he did it more cluelessly than anything.

"You know what, you just might be my favorite teacher." Yoongi smirked. You couldn't stop yourself from laughing. Mr. Kim continued to go up on your favorite teacher list. Maybe even your favorite people list as well.

"I've said enough." Mr. Kim's ears were red hot. He looked over at Jungkook again. "Come on, Kookie! We have to go!"

Jungkook didn't want to go just yet. He shook his head adamantly, earning a heavy sigh from Mr. Kim. It looked like Mr. Kim was a complete push over when it came to his nephew. Then again, you've never seen him be strict with students either. Jungkook stopped talking to his friends and ran straight towards Yoongi. Eyes widened the second Jungkook threw his arms around Yoongi. Even the delinquent couldn't believe the bunny's actions, but he welcomed it. He wrapped his arms around the boy and held him tightly. Taehyung and Jimin both had wide smiles on their faces.

"Thank you for everything, Hyung-nim!" Jungkook said before rushing over to Mr. Kim. "Okay, we can go now!"

"Hyung-nim?" Yoongi couldn't hold back the smile growing on his face. Mr. Kim was shocked but took Jungkook's hand. Once again, Mr. Kim thanked you guys and Jungkook shouted bye at the top of his lungs. Namjoon closed the door and everyone turned to face Yoongi. It looks like someone else has gained a little brother.


	19. Three Hyungs

Ch.19

Yesterday was eventful. You didn't quite know how to put it. Finding Jungkook curled up in a ball was heartbreaking, but he's doing better now. Yoongi protected him and now the bullies won't touch him anymore. Jungkook can go to school without any fear. The little dongsaengs were all grateful towards their hyung. Especially the bunny who stared at Yoongi like he was from a different world. It was still surprising to you how quickly Jungkook warmed up to Yoongi. Not only did he call Yoongi 'hyung', but he added 'nim' to it too. That's quite the honor.

Everyone couldn't get over it, but Yoongi was going on with life as if that never happened. He sat in his desk with his earbuds in. With closed eyes, Yoongi listened to his music without a care. Meanwhile he did that, you stared at him from your desk. Your eyes never left him just like Hoseok. Hoseok was closer to Yoongi, staring at the delinquent right at his desk. Then Namjoon was standing behind Yoongi. He was leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed. All of you stared at Yoongi with an intense gaze that was unwavering. It was enough to make his skin feel like it was on fire from all the unwanted attention. It eventually got to him.

Yoongi gritted his teeth, annoyed that he couldn't listen to his music peacefully. He didn't understand why all of you were staring at him so intently. You guys were also doing it without speaking to him. That immediately got on his nerves. Pausing his music, Yoongi turned over his phone on his desk. You and Hoseok glanced at each other quickly before staring at Yoongi again. The slender boy tore out the earbuds from his ear. The wire swung out, falling onto his desk roughly. Yoongi kept his teeth bared as he stared back at all of you in annoyance. His eyes glaring at each and every one of you with more blazing heat.

"Can all of you f*cking stop?" Yoongi growled.

"Didn't know you would get so bothered," Namjoon retorted.

"What do you guys want?" Yoongi ignored him.

"We're just...staring—"

"—admiring!" Hoseok corrected you.

"Er, exactly!" You agreed, nodding your head to his words. Yoongi rolled his eyes at the nonsense leaving the lips of his friends. It took a lot of energy out of Yoongi not to cuss you guys out. He was doing his best to hold back, but he wasn't quite sure if it was worth his time. Right as Yoongi opened his mouth to say some things, the bell rang. The three of you were saved from his wrath!

Namjoon and Hoseok returned to their seats chuckling. Yoongi remained pissed off but was trying to cool down. Math class would be starting once Mr. Kim gets himself officially sorted at his desk. The rest of you still felt weird seeing him show up at Namjoon's house. It was unexpected to say the least. You're just glad Jungkook is free from the bullies and that you finally got to meet him. He's such a cutie! Then he has a great uncle to look after him and a hard-working mom. Now Jungkook has some great friends around him if you don't say so yourself. Taehyung and Jimin are absolute sweethearts.

"Good morning everyone!" Mr. Kim rubbed his hands on his pants. He tried to act natural, but most of the class witnessed him spill a little coffee onto his hands. That almost cheered Yoongi up a bit while you felt bad. Mr. Kim kept a smile on his face and ignored his red, throbbing hands. "Is everyone doing well?"

Some people in the class collectively answered with monotone voices. Mr. Kim was happy to receive any kind of answer. He nodded, getting ready to finally get the class going. He turned to the board until someone stepped into the classroom. An office T.A. swiftly handed Mr. Kim a paper request and left. The teacher read the note, pacing around the classroom and his smile grew. He lifted his head back up at the class looking radiant as ever. Strands of brown hair falling in front of his face until he brushed them to the side. You didn't even realize the dreamy sigh you let out. You really don't know what's wrong with you. Normally, you're not one to have crushes on teachers. Just on a bunch of cute boys you know you'll never see again or don't have a chance with.

"We'll be starting class with this warm-up. It's a puzzle and when you get all the correct answers, it spells out the answer to the joke at the top." Mr. Kim giggled to himself. He grabbed a pile of papers and handed a couple out to the people who sat at the front. Slowly, the papers were getting passed all the way back. As the students got to work, Mr. Kim started walking to the back with the paper between his fingers. He took long strides over to Yoongi who stared at him in confusion. "Mind stepping out of the classroom with me for a second?" He nudged his head towards the backdoor.

Yoongi looked over at you with an unsure expression. He couldn't tell if he was in trouble or not. If he was in trouble, he wouldn't be surprised. The note could be scolding him for breathing air and he wouldn't be shocked. Some people want to pin everything onto him. At least that's how he felt about his old school. This school has been a little different. Mainly because it's filled with rich snobs and people with their noses so far shoved down their textbooks that they're oblivious to the world around them. Yoongi stood up and faced the teacher once you shrugged at him. You had no idea what this was about. The two stepped out of the classroom and Yoongi bit his lip when Mr. Kim closed the door. Was he going to get reprimanded for something?

"Am I in trouble?" Yoongi scratched the back of his neck.

"In trouble? Goodness, no!" Mr. Kim shook his head as he handed the paper over. "That's just something telling you to meet up with the Principal at the start of lunch."

"Oh..." Yoongi wanted to crumble the paper. Rip it up to shreds.

"It's nothing to worry about, Yoongi." Mr. Kim shook his head, noting the frustration on the younger boy's face. "I'm sure it will be a quick meeting."

"...you don't get it." Yoongi sighed.

"I know enough that you're not in trouble. He wouldn't send a note to _you_ if you were in trouble." Mr. Kim crossed his arms. Yoongi pursed his lips as he looked to the side. He didn't really like talking about it, but he figured Mr. Kim knew. Faculty at this school had to know what's going on with Yoongi and the principal by now. "On an unrelated note...I wanted to thank you for yesterday."

"Thank?" Yoongi returned his eyes to the broad-shouldered male. He raised a suspicious brow, practically forgetting what he did the other day. Mr. Kim chuckled and nodded his head to confirm the delinquent's question.

"Yes, I'm thankful that you protected my Jungkookie from his bullies. I normally don't condone violence, but what you did..." Mr. Kim looked around the hall for dramatic effect. He leaned closer to Yoongi, bringing his hand up to his mouth as he whispered, "I hear it was brutal." Mr. Kim giggled and Yoongi rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Kim, you should speak your mind more often." Yoongi grinned. "And I told Jungkook already. It was nothing...it was the only way to get the bullies to back off."

"But it really wasn't nothing, Min Yoongi." Mr. Kim couldn't contain his gratitude. Yoongi finally stopped trying to be modest. He let himself hear the teacher speak without shoving all he said under a carpet. Mr. Kim took the chance to speak to Yoongi as Seokjin. As an uncle. As a person. Not as the boy's high school math teacher. "Jungkook...he's a really shy boy. I've never seen him talk to others that much. Never mind the way I saw him interact with you guys yesterday! It's amazing. It really made me so happy to see that."

"...I see." Yoongi watched the vulnerable teacher speak fondly of his nephew. Yoongi could understand why he worried over Jungkook so much even before the bullying. Yoongi almost felt like he saw a bit of himself in the little bunny.

"He's a great boy. Talented at everything he does and he's so adorable too." Seokjin smiled at little memories. He remembered when the boy was a small baby. Holding him for the first time at the hospital until now. "He doesn't have much people he can depend on or look up to, but I know you're different. You're exactly the type of hyung I believe Jungkook should have as he grows up."

"What? Me?" Yoongi's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He never thought he would be seen as role model material. A hyung to look up to? There's no way. Yoongi thought there was better options. Hoseok! Hell, even Namjoon! Seokjin was adamant though. He fully believed—no—_knew_ that Yoongi was the right one for the job.

"Kookie only sees me as an old man. It's very rude of him, but whatever...anyway!" Seokjin got off track for a second. "Jungkookie called you 'hyung-nim'! So I hope you understand when I ask you to treat him kindly and help him when he needs it. Guide him when he feels like he can't come to anyone else."

"...I don't even know what I'm doing with myself," Yoongi admitted, but Seokjin only shook his head.

"Now that's not true. I see your grades are rising because you put all the effort by getting tutoring lessons. You don't have to go to those and you don't have to care about the grade you get in my class, but you do." Seokjin shrugged. "And you care for a reason. I may not know exactly, but it might be connected with the music you constantly listen to."

Yoongi stared at the man in absolute shock. He's never felt so exposed to anyone before. Seokjin easily saw through him and was putting the pieces together. The redhead felt his throat become dry. He's never connected with a teacher before. Slowly, Yoongi was starting to understand how different Seokjin was from other teachers. At his old school, they would only see him as a nuisance and as a delinquent. Here...teachers treated him gently, but suspiciously. All but Mr. Kim the math teacher. Seokjin has only ever treated Yoongi with pure kindness. No matter the teasing Yoongi gives you for liking the teacher, he could understand why someone would like him as a person.

"It is..." Yoongi heard himself say. He's never been this honest with adults.

"Then I support you all the way, Yoongi-ya! You're a very good student and a very good hyung for my Kookie." Seokjin slowly returned back to Mr. Kim. He put on his teacher mode as he gave the slender boy a friendly pat on the back. "Let's go back inside."

Yoongi nodded without saying another word. Mr. Kim entered the room with a cheerful attitude. He had the conversation he wanted to have with his student. Yoongi was still left a bit surprised. He didn't expect that to all happen in the hall. You noticed the second he stepped in how wide eyed he looked. Almost as if he had seen a ghost. Yoongi walked to his desk, not really paying attention if he bumped into anything. He took a seat and you quickly lifted the warm-up worksheet to cover your face. Yoongi still looked like he was in a daze and you couldn't understand why. What did Mr. Kim say to him? It felt like Yoongi was lost in his own little world.

"Are you okay?" You whispered. Yoongi remained with a blank stare until you kicked his leg. He jolted in his seat, the desk legs screeching when they scraped the floor. A couple students looked back and Mr. Kim only smiled. He hummed, sipping his coffee and making sure everyone got back to work. Yoongi finally snapped out of it. He blinked at first before turning to face you with a gentle scowl.

"What?" Yoongi huffed.

"Are you in trouble?" You furrowed your brows. Yoongi sighed when he heard the tone of your voice. It didn't come off as caring. More annoyed. That sort of slipped, but you meant well. Yoongi has luckily learned that your voice doesn't always match your true intentions.

"I'm fine. I just have to see the principal at the beginning of lunch...fun." Yoongi held up the little note. You automatically winced, knowing that Yoongi would rather set himself on fire. The boy let the paper slip through his fingers, the note rocking back and forth in the air until it landed at the corner of his desk.

It made you wonder what the principal wanted with Yoongi this time. Yoongi never bothered to share more than the fact that he hated school staff. Whatever the principal wanted, you wished Yoongi luck. The both of you returned your focus onto the warm-up. Class went on as normal. The only difference was Yoongi's change in attitude. He appeared a lot more relaxed in Mr. Kim's class. More than you have ever seen him be. The second the two of you stepped outside though, he went back to his stiff old ways. He was grumpy when he informed Namjoon and Hoseok that he'd be making it late to lunch for the random little 'meeting'.

Namjoon and Hoseok had trouble holding back their facial expressions. Both were surprised, confused, and intrigued. In a flash they managed to reveal all what they were thinking. They did try to act natural, but it was too late. Yoongi rolled his eyes and he didn't really care. He knew all of you must have been curious to know what was going on. But he just didn't want to get into it. It wasn't important to him and he felt like no one needed to know. Namjoon respected Yoongi's privacy while Hoseok whined to know more information. That instantly got him smacked by the president.

Things were left at that. The day continued on without issues. Yoongi texted you that he would make the meeting end before it even began. A part of you was surprised he was going to show up in the first place. Maybe because Yoongi wanted to have the last word again. You still remember how Principal Yoo took the angry rant from Yoongi and was left with sad eyes. It still comes to your mind at times. Even more now that you're walking into the cafeteria and knowing where Yoongi is going to be. The only person sitting at the windowsill at the moment was Namjoon. He sat on the edge with his long legs stretched out. You paused for a second, noting how peaceful he looked as he wrote in his green notebook.

He scribbled into it before pressing the tip of the pencil's eraser against his plump lips. You figured Namjoon had to be writing poems or stories. Something personal to him. It has to be something with writing since you've seen all the literature awards hung at his home. You checked all of them and they were for him. There was only one award for Taehyung and that one was best smile for when he was a third grader. They're not wrong though. Pursing your lips, you made your way over to Namjoon as loudly as you possibly could. Something to give him a warning so he could put the notebook away.

Namjoon glanced up to see you. Despite the warning, his eyes widened like you were a strange creature. Namjoon quickly focused on the notebook to finish writing something. You could hear him softly screaming to himself. Since he was so panicked, you purposely slowed down your steps. You looked like you were pretending to walk on the moon. It wasn't long before Namjoon finished and shut the notebook. Without wasting another second, he shoved the notebook into his red backpack and zipped it up. It almost made you want to giggle at the fact that he tried to play it off.

"Hey...'sup." Namjoon visibly cringed.

"Hey there, Joonie." You set down your bag on the windowsill. The tall male smiled at the nickname. As you got your lunch out, Namjoon rubbed his neck and watched you silently. There were people missing from your group of friends so he took the chance to ask questions.

"(F/n), do you know what the Principal's deal with Yoongi is?" Namjoon tilted his head. He stopped rubbing his neck by the time you sat down next to him. Did you know anything? No. You were oblivious as always when it came to Yoongi's secrets. He was very mysterious. If you wanted to know anything about the red head, you had to gain his trust and be persistent at a steady pace. There was no rushing things when it came to him.

"Sorry, no. I'm just as clueless as you and Hoseok." You tossed a blueberry into your mouth. Namjoon nodded with understanding. It almost felt like it was bugging him. His shoulders sank, but he opened his lunch box and sighed. In his lunch was meat, lettuce wrap, and rice. A smile crept up on your face to see that someone drew a heart with sauce on his white rice. "Oh, a heart? Do you have a secret girlfriend I don't know about?"

"What!? No! G-Girlfriend! I would never—there's no secret—I...this..." Namjoon was beyond flustered. He had waved his hands in front of your face and shook his head adamantly. He really didn't want you to misunderstand. His face was flushed, embarrassed by his own reaction. "Sorry...Taehyung messed with my lunch."

"Messed?" You frowned. "I think it's cute. He really loves you and looks up to you, Namjoon."

"...I don't understand why." Namjoon started to mix the rice with his chopsticks. The heart sauce vanished in seconds to your dismay. "He does this crap to annoy me mainly."

"How do you know that?"

"...because it annoys me?" Namjoon shrugged. It almost made you want to smack the back of his head. Was he really that dumb when it came to people? Poor Taehyung is always trailing behind him like a lost puppy. You've never seen their parents so Namjoon is all the boy has. You wish Namjoon would see that, but maybe that's just their dynamic.

"Tae deserves love." You pouted.

"I...give him that," Namjoon replied, but you weren't sold.

"Can't even say the word. I see you, Namjoon." You sipped your juice box.

"Well, I do." Namjoon set down his food. "I'm going to the bathroom, but I'll be back soon."

"Okay then. Hurry~!" You chewed on another berry. Namjoon blushed while you giggled. The tall male walked off with his hands in his pockets. Though Namjoon was a very smart boy, he did struggle showing affection. He couldn't read other people as easily. That's why he doesn't see Taehyung's efforts and easily gets into arguments with Yoongi. Yoongi was sort of the opposite. He was smart, but he could read people unlike Namjoon. Just by watching them, Yoongi knew what type of person they were. He's not always accurate though which causes problems. He gets stuck in his own impressions that he tends to make more enemies than friends. Both boys had their own things to work on.

The only boy who had a perfect balance was Hoseok. He knew exactly how to charm people without bad intentions. Hoseok's only goal was to make friends. He's a major extrovert and loves being around people. But because his personality is so strong, he can be overwhelming and cause a lot of misunderstandings. He meant well though and you've learned that the hard way. He's in the same boat as you in a way. You spoke your mind without thinking at times. Occasionally, it made you come across as brave and as someone who stands up for what they believe in. Other times, you come across as a b*tch for being rude. Not to mention, you can't always control the tone that leaves your mouth. The flaws were there yet...you knew you liked your friends the way they were and you're sure they feel the same about you for once.

"Cha (F/n)! I'm here!" Hoseok's loud voice boomed through the entire cafeteria. The berry you were about to toss in your mouth fell down to the ground. Hoseok was running towards you, waving his hands with excitement. So many eyes were on the both of you that it was embarrassing. What was he doing? Your entire face felt on fire as he braked himself on his heels in front of you.

"J-Jung Hoseok," You muttered with a stern expression. Hopefully, he'll get the hint to never do something like that again.

"Cute!" Hoseok laughed at your stutter. This punk! Whatever...you watched the boy happily sit down on the ground. He was already getting comfortable as people looked away. How come your group of friends were always the one catching attention? You stopped eating to simply watch Hoseok open a yogurt. He put a spoonful in his mouth before staring at you with a dairy mustache. "Is something wrong?"

"Here." You handed him one of your napkins. Hoseok leaned over to grab it, licking his lips before properly wiping his mouth clean.

"I like having you take care of me~." Hoseok grinned as you felt your stomach flip.

"Don't say things like that." You shook your head, hoping he wouldn't see how red your face was. Or hear how hard your heart was beating. The dating rumors with Yoongi died down at this school, but only because Namjoon and Hoseok had joined the pool. Having Hoseok say stuff like that would give someone the wrong idea and you weren't up for dealing with drama. You left that all behind in that dumb middle school.

"Sorry...too forward?" Hoseok chuckled with apologetic eyes. "I guess I got confident without the other two around."

"It's fine...but speaking of the other two, our last plan failed," You reminded him. Hoseok left his spoon in his mouth as he began to think. He closed his eyes and you waited for him to say something. He came up with a decent plan last time. It unfortunately went wrong though. It could work this time around, just maybe.

"I think—" Hoseok pulled the spoon out of his mouth. "—we should let things happen naturally."

"What!? That plan is sh*t!" You scoffed. Hoseok instantly pouted, pulling his face away from another spoonful of yogurt.

"What do you mean? It's the only way." Hoseok put the spoon back in the cup. "Listen (F/n), our last attempt was really bad. _Really_ bad. We almost made things worse...BUT, when we don't do anything...I believe they slowly begin to get along. All we need is patience."

Right. You can't rush things with Yoongi.

"You're the expert." You put your lunch box back on your lap.

"Who's the expert?" Yoongi's voice made the both of you flinch. Yoongi smirked in amusement before taking his usual spot on the windowsill. Hoseok and you remained silent but smiled.

"Looks like we're all here." Namjoon arrived just in time. Hoseok and you nodded, quietly letting him sit next to you again. You suppose Hoseok is right after all. There is slow improvement in the end. Namjoon no longer sits on the other windowsill to avoid being close to Yoongi. Hoseok gave you a subtle wink and you shook your head. He should be careful with acting so boldly in front of Yoongi.

Yoongi is naturally protective of you when it comes to the other two. He started off as enemies with Namjoon but is _hopefully_ becoming friends with him. Then Hoseok was sort of attacked by Yoongi for not leaving you alone. He was a nice bodyguard to have. For his small frame, Yoongi isn't as fragile as he looks. He can put up quite the fight and you've witnessed it before with your own eyes. He protected a small bunny from the sharp teeth and claws of the wild animals that constantly tormented him. And speaking of the bunny, he came home with the puppy and baby chick.

School ended and the four of you went over to Namjoon's house for tutoring. He wanted to catch you guys up on the lesson he was supposed to teach the other day. There was a lot he needed to go through. It felt like all of you were cramming for a test. Still, it wasn't too bad to deal with. It wasn't long before all three of the middle schoolers arrived. The four of you were surprised to see Jungkook already becoming a regular to the Kim household.

Taehyung shouted at the top of his lungs that he had arrived. It immediately had Hoseok laughing while a heavy sigh left Namjoon. Still, Namjoon preferred to hear his noisy little brother than have him be quiet. Taehyung happily waved to Namjoon as he went up the stairs. Next was Jimin who waved at Hoseok. Lastly, there was Jungkook who went up the stairs timidly. He glanced into the kitchen to see Yoongi staring right at him. Yoongi lifted his hand to wave lightly and something in the bunny had him jumping. Jungkook instantly brightened up, waving with unending excitement before catching up with his friends. How adorable.

It seems like all three of them have little brothers now. Before Hoseok could go on a tangent about how cute the boys were, Namjoon beat him with trigonometry. You would rather talk about the cute children, but you also needed to pass. Mustering up the strength not to groan or break down in tears, you forced yourself to listen to Namjoon's lecture. Math is the worst thing to ever exist. The only good thing was that the tutoring session was coming to an end. Just as there was only thirty minutes left, all three of the middle schoolers came down the stairs. It's almost like they knew this was the perfect time to interrupt.

"Hyung!" Taehyung ran to hug Namjoon. The president grunted from the impact, staring down at the boy with a raised brow.

"Are you going to make it a habit to cut tutoring by thirty minutes every time?" Namjoon asked.

"I get yelled at less." Taehyung snuggled his face into Namjoon's shirt. He closed his eyes peacefully as Namjoon sighed, gently patting the boy's back.

"Where's my—!?" Hoseok started to whine until Jimin jumped on his back. Hoseok grinned, standing up and giving the squealing boy a piggyback ride.

"I'm here, Hyung!" Jimin giggled. "I'm here."

"There you are!" Hoseok started playing with the boy by giving him a ride in the kitchen. It took a lot out of you not to swoon at the cuteness. You covered your mouth, swallowing hard. Don't squeal, don't sob. None of that. Soon your eyes landed on the nervous bunny who stood near the entrance of the kitchen. His eyes were directly on Yoongi who was finishing up his notes. Jungkook stayed by the door frame until Yoongi's eyes met his. You could have sworn you heard Yoongi mutter 'cute' under his breath. Jungkook was beginning to smile and struggling to contain his excitement. He bounced at the door as Yoongi beckoned him over. The bunny ran to him in a flash.

"Hyung-nim! Are you studying hard?" Jungkook asked, his dark eyes twinkling.

"I am. Have you eaten?" Yoongi placed his hand on the brunette's head. Jungkook nodded, his expression showing how touched he was that Yoongi cared. Yoongi's eyes then flickered over to you, scoffing. "Are you okay? You look like you want to cry for no reason."

"Everything is just too sweet. Shut up." You huffed. You don't know why the little ones managed to make you turn into a puddle. Seeing them admire their hyungs warmed your heart that usually refused to be swayed. Taehyung was bouncing nonstop, asking Namjoon questions as he cleared the kitchen table. Jimin was showing Hoseok a hip-hop move he learned and was making his hyung proud. You couldn't control yourself. Yoongi only shook his head, patting your knee. Jungkook saw that and his eyes were wide. He continued to look back and forth between the two of you. His mouth was starting to gape open at his own conclusions.

"Is (F/n) noona your girlfriend, Hyung-nim?" Jungkook innocently questioned.

"Yeah," Yoongi answered absentmindedly. You almost let it slide too out of habit. The two of you weren't at Midnight Measure though. Yoongi and you froze, suddenly gulping as the others in the room stopped what they were doing. Namjoon accidentally dropped all his papers and they scattered all over the floor. Hoseok practically slipped while teaching another move to Jimin. The younger boys were gasping before Yoongi started to shake his head. "Wait, I was joking!"

"It was a _joke_?" Namjoon almost growled.

"It's just a thing Yoongi and I say sometimes. People always think we're dating so we just...yeah." You felt yourself sweat.

"Your guy's sarcasm will be the death of me." Hoseok placed his hand on his chest. He let out a sigh of relief and Jimin noted that.

"Good! Because _my_ hyung belongs with noona!" Taehyung stomped his foot. "Right, Hyung?"

"_Stop talking_." Namjoon hissed as he hit the boy's head with a stack of papers. The puppy whined, not understanding why he got hit.

"Actually...I think my hyung and noona would look better together." Jimin smiled.

"R-Really?" Hoseok hesitated to smile. Jimin nodded his head enthusiastically as you softly groaned to yourself. You didn't know what was worse. Having them believe you were dating Yoongi or having the young ones now pair you up with their hyungs. Suddenly, they no longer appeared as cute anymore. Jungkook noticed the sharp glare Yoongi was giving to the president and golden boy. It was something Yoongi didn't even realize he was doing.

"Hyung-nim belongs with noona!" Jungkook shouted. Jimin and Taehyung snapped their heads in his direction with their nostrils flared.

"Oh...okay," Yoongi said in surprise. The three boys automatically started bickering as you packed up your things. It's been fun, but you need to get home. You looked at Yoongi and nodded at him. You'll be his girlfriend tonight at Midnight Measure. Other than that, all the boys in this room are delusional. That's when the doorbell rang causing everyone to become silent.

"Kookie! I'm here to pick you up!" Mr. Kim's voice shouted.

"Ugh, nooo." Jungkook groaned.

"Here's my real boyfriend." You grinned to yourself as you left the kitchen. The three younger boy's faces contorted into confusion. Especially Jungkook, questioning if his uncle was truly dating you. Meanwhile, your classmates were scrunching their faces in annoyance at your crush on Mr. Kim.

"That's not funny!" They all shouted. It kind of was.


	20. Plain Enemies

Ch.20

Yoongi stared at his hyung with a mixture of emotions. He was both oddly touched and disturbed. There was a hint of disappointment in the mix too. The main reason was because Jinyo came up to the boy, overly thrilled with something he created. Jinyo gave Yoongi a goofy smile, continuing to hold up the pin on his denim jacket. The pin was small, but it had Yoongi's face on it. You thought it was really cute while Yoongi thought it was weird. You made sure to jab your elbow into his ribs so he wouldn't say something rude to Jinyo. You doubt he would, but he was making a face.

Jaegyu and Junsuh were standing beside Jinyo. The male was proudly showing it off and it instantly got compliments from the other two. Jaegyu was impressed and Junsuh commented that Yoongi looked cute in the picture chosen. Jinyo immediately agreed and began explaining how he made it. All while they were speaking, Yoongi's face was burning. He couldn't handle his fanboys all the time. Sometimes they made him feel more embarrassed than anything. But you thought it was sweet how close they all were. Since the five of you were busy talking, none of you really heard the MC speaking into the mic. Everything blended into the background like white noise.

He was announcing the next performer since tonight was open mic. The crowd was already hyped over the last person who went. The lights were still until the person with their white hood over their head came onto the stage. Soon the lights began to flash green, people focusing on the stage this guy had prepared. Jinyo and Jaegyu were laughing while Junsuh recognized the rapper's voice. He turned around and silently walked closer to the stage in awe. Jinyo and Jaegyu paused, noticing their friend leave without saying a word.

"Where's he going?" Jinyo pouted.

"He's off in the clouds now." Jaegyu sighed before returning his focus on the pin again. "But seriously dude, make me one."

"Don't make more!" Yoongi shouted, his pale face now a bright shade of pink. Jaegyu chuckled at the boy's embarrassment. It was hilarious to him while Jinyo only shook his head.

"I don't get what's the problem." Jinyo crossed his arms.

"Me neither. I want one too." You smiled and Yoongi's eyes widened. He couldn't tell if you were joking or not. Either way, he wasn't having it. There would be no more pins on his watch.

"You wanna die?" Yoongi growled. He gave you a glare that made a shiver run down your spine. The glare didn't last long. He was instantly smacked by Jaegyu, the strongest of the fanboys. Yoongi stumbled and held his head in shock. "W-What?"

"Don't threaten your girlfriend. What's wrong with you?" Jaegyu huffed. "Treat her with respect."

"Yes, because you're so respectful to women." Jinyo played with his pin.

"I don't have to be respectful to you, you little sh*t." Jaegyu stared down at the male who was the smallest. Jinyo only stood at 5'6" compared to everyone else and he constantly got sh*t for it.

"You do if you want a pin!" Jinyo narrowed his eyes on the tattoo addict.

"You got me there." Jaegyu held back on further remarks. They both calmed down, leaving the unspoken word of _touché_ in the air. Yoongi chewed on his lip and turned to face you. His eyes avoided making eye contact with you when he quickly mumbled his apology. You rolled your eyes, not because you were upset with him. You didn't care too much for his threat, but it was the fact that he sucked at apologizing. He really struggled when it came to anything remotely emotional.

"Thanks, Yoongi." You sighed.

"She didn't call him 'oppa'." Jinyo gasped to his friend.

"Suga is screwed. He's going to be single _very_ soon," Jaegyu whispered. "Good with music, not with women."

"Hyung, seriously?" Yoongi sighed with frustration. He couldn't fight them too much. They were older than the two of you which earned them authority and respect. Not only that, but they were respected in the underground community. It was in everyone's best interest not to mess with these guys.

The lights stopped flashing and returned to their regular white color. Was the performance over? The rapper was adjusting his hood as he went off stage. You assume he probably took it off at one point, but you barely paid attention to his performance. With your head turned in the direction of the stage, you saw Junsuh coming over with a small smile on his face. Jaegyu grumbled if Junsuh was going to become a fan of another rapper. They didn't want him ditching their little circle. Jinyo looked heartbroken at the idea of Junsuh leaving to support another rapper. They were acting as if it was impossible to support two people. Yoongi raised a brow at his hyung who jumped at Junsuh to confront him. It wasn't what Jaegyu had in mind, but he stood right behind Jinyo.

"Keep supporting Suga!!" Jinyo clung onto the male well over 6'3" like a koala. Junsuh towered over a huge majority of people. With the new accessory wrapped around him, Junsuh cocked a brow up at Jaegyu for answers.

"Don't forget about our boy Suga." Jaegyu crossed his arms. Junsuh's expression let everyone know he was annoyed. It read _is this what this is all about_? Junsuh pried Jinyo off, setting him down carefully. Junsuh didn't say anything but his eyes were clearly telling his two friends that they were acting stupidly.

"That is not true!" Jinyo huffed.

_It's true and you know it_. Junsuh kept a tired face, waiting for them to stop acting the way they were. Jaegyu scoffed before thinking about it. He tapped his foot rapidly, coming to the realization on his own.

"I hate how he's right." Jaegyu wanted to hit Junsuh. Jinyo quietly patted Jaegyu's shoulder in understanding. It was pretty entertaining watching the fanboys interact with each other. They were very clearly close to one another. They already knew what Junsuh was saying with only one look. It was almost as if they could read each others minds. At times, it felt like Jinyo and Jaegyu were talking to themselves. The reality was that Junsuh was speaking with his eyes and expressions. Soon Junsuh's eyes moved to you and Yoongi.

"Are you performing?" Junsuh faced Yoongi.

"Yeah...I'm performing an old thing I wrote." Yoongi shrugged. Yoongi gave you a side hug before walking in the direction of the MC. "Guess I gotta go put myself on the list."

"This is going to be good." You already started making your way to the stage. The fanboys smiled at one another before following you over.

*~*

Last night was long. There was some waiting before Yoongi performed, but it was okay. You stayed there with his fanboys to see him come to life on stage. You could never really get over his stage presence. Yoongi got a lot of praise last night. He was really making a name for himself down there as Suga. A lot of the elder rappers were impressed by his age and skill. During the entire ride back to your place, Yoongi couldn't get over the feelings it gave him. He felt like all he could hear was his heartbeat as they spoke. It's a feeling unlike any other, he told you. It's something he's meant to do.

Yoongi left you to rest for the three hours you had before school started. At least you didn't have to climb up and sneak through the window. Your parents have recently flown across the country to go take care of your sick grandpa. The both of them felt it was really important to put off work for a bit to go see your Mom's last living parent. So you've been living in an empty house for approximately three days now. It would be lonely, but you only end up spending more time with the boys. It made you more excited to see them at school.

Math was your worst subject, but it was your favorite class. Mr. Kim is a great teacher and then you share the class with all your friends. It's the only class where partner or group work is actually fun. And as always, Mr. Kim gave the entire class the last five minutes to do whatever they wanted. People were already clumped up in their own friend groups or getting ahead on homework. The boys were currently sitting in the back of the room with you and Yoongi. They were talking about random topics constantly. They struggled staying on one with Namjoon wanting to talk about his lesson plan, Hoseok trying to invite you guys to street dancing events, and Yoongi wanting to nap or make fun of them. He said there was no in between.

"So are you guys free Saturday?" Hoseok whined for their attention.

"As I was saying, I've been thinking about giving you guys extra practice work—"

"F*ck off." Yoongi leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed. He made himself comfortable despite there only being less than five minutes of class left now.

"You can't get mad at me for trying to help you." Namjoon huffed in frustration. He sent the delinquent a stern look, but Yoongi remained unbothered.

"Can you guys please listen to me?" Hoseok tried waving his hands in front of them. The golden boy looked like he was losing his mind. He wanted attention on him. Just a drop would be nice to quench his thirst.

"Guys, listen to—" You started until Mr. Kim poked his head up.

"Oh, before I forget may I have Cha (F/n) stick around after class?" Mr. Kim asked. A couple girls looked back at you with clear scowls. Not even trying to be discreet about it? Okay. You nervously nodded your head, feeling your heart pound heavily in your chest. You doubt you're in trouble with the way he smiled at you. Speaking of that smile, it made you lightheaded. The boys stopped bickering with each other at this point. They all stared at you with suspicious looks. Yoongi even gave up napping to judge you. Namjoon awkwardly cleared his throat and Hoseok intensely stared in Mr. Kim's direction.

"We'll wait for you outside," Hoseok said.

"What? No. Get lost." You stood up as the bell rang.

"Don't get the man sent to prison." Yoongi lifted his bag onto his shoulder.

"We're first years, (F/n). We're all sixteen so don't—" Namjoon grabbed onto your shoulders.

"Who do you think I am?" You smacked his arms away. You may have a light crush on Mr. Kim, but you would never act on it. These boys sometimes take teasing too far. It gets on your nerves a lot and it shows. Normally, you wouldn't treat them so coldly, but it just comes out. The second they say those dumb little assumptions; you hear yourself telling them to f*ck off. Yoongi clicked his tongue, silently telling the two boys to follow him out. Hoseok looked at you with a pout before following the delinquent. Namjoon begrudgingly turned around to join them.

"Who made you leader?" The president muttered under his breath.

They're ridiculous. Namjoon closed the door behind him, leaving only Mr. Kim and you in the room alone. You put your backpack on as you walked down the aisle of desks. The handsome teacher stood up from his desk with a friendly smile. He went to the front of his desk to sit on the corner with one leg still on the ground. You bit on the insides of your cheek as you stood right in front of him. Though there was no way you would ever get a chance with him, your heart refused to act normally. Your nails dug into the straps of your backpack as Mr. Kim made eye contact with you.

"Sorry to call you so randomly towards the end," Mr. Kim began and you instantly shook your head. There was no problem at all! You didn't mind. Mr. Kim's friendly smile soon vanished into a worried expression once he sighed. His broad shoulders sank down slightly as if he didn't want to have this conversation. "You know that Kookie is my joka."

"I do."

"Well, now that he hangs out at Namjoon's house, he tells me everything that happens." Mr. Kim kept his eyes connected with yours. Your brows puckered together, unsure what the problem might be. It's not like you guys do anything bad. Literally, math is all you guys do. "He told me yesterday that you said I was your boyfriend...um—"

"Oh my god." You felt your heart stop. A fire spread throughout your entire body to be so exposed like this. Mr. Kim looked uncomfortable and you were ready to jump off the school roof. "I'm so sorry for that! I was joking!" You brought your hands up to cover your face. "Jungkook and his friends were saying dumb things. They were trying to figure who out of my friends is my boyfriend and I told them it was you jokingly and—"

"It was all a joke?" Mr. Kim looked relieved. "I see. You don't have to worry anymore, (F/n). I was just afraid if I led you to believe something. I don't want there to be a misunderstanding as I am your teacher."

"Yes...I know that." You played with your hands. This was the worst experience of your entire life. You think you would rather go through middle school again.

"Besides, your friends are much better for you. They're all smart and handsome." Mr. Kim chuckled. "Not to mention Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi are your age as well."

"They are..." You sighed. You had a sad look on your face so Mr. Kim stopped trying to talk the boys up. With how badly this teacher crush situation is going, you're not so sure you want to try having feelings for your friends so quickly. Crushes are so emotionally draining and you tend to get them all the time.

"But screw all that. Boyfriends are pointless and you should focus on passing my class." Mr. Kim teased. You looked at him with a raised brow. Hearing him say that didn't even sound right. He quickly shook his head at his words. "Actually, forget all that too. Passing my class shouldn't be the source of all your stress...just be happy, (F/n). Do what you love, okay?"

"Thank you, Mr. Kim." You bowed. You gave him a tight smile, already wishing to leave the classroom. Unlike Yoongi, you hadn't found your passion yet. It only reminded you that you were still clueless on what you wanted to do in life and now you've been rejected by your teacher. You were supposed to die with that crush being a secret. You went to open the door and three boys instantly fell the second you did. They were eavesdropping. Great. The boys jump up onto their feet, closing the door and laughing unnaturally. They stared at you, each of them biting their bottom lips. "What?"

"Wow...sorry, (F/n)." Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck.

"That sucks. Rejected by Mr. Kim himself." Yoongi winced. This wasn't making you feel any better. It only felt like they were rubbing it in your face at this point. It was a dumb crush to begin with. Stupid. Silly.

"But hey, you have us and we're great!" Hoseok jumped with his arms spread open. "Just the perfect age for you!"

You turned around after that. Hearing them speak was only pissing you off and then...tears were building up. It was so confusing on why you were getting emotional over this. Maybe your period was coming soon. Something! You just needed a reason to justify the soft ache your heart was feeling. Rejection wasn't always nice, but you also didn't enjoy having your friends constantly sh*t on you for having that crush. Things were almost feeling like middle school again.

Wiping your eyes, you continued to storm down the long hallway. The boys were calling your name loudly. They were shouting after you as you tried to find a bathroom to hide yourself in. That was the only perk of being a girl with all male friends. Yoongi was only yelling your name, expecting you to yell at him in return. Namjoon was pleading for you to turn around and talk to them. Hoseok was apologizing profusely, begging for your forgiveness. You only ended up walking faster and turned the corner without paying attention. Next thing you know, you bumped into someone.

"I-I'm sorry." You bowed right away. Your mind was still all over the place, but it froze when you realized who you bumped into.

"Cha (F/n), what a delightful surprise!"

"P-Principal Yoo!" You responded loudly. Right away, you heard the sound of sneakers screech against the floor. Voices became hushed. The boys had stopped walking over. Even though you were kind of mad at them, you made sure they didn't enter this mess. Principal Yoo stared at you, unaware that three boys were now hiding from his sight just around the corner.

"It's been a while since we've chatted." Principal Yoo gave you a friendly smile. It was genuine and he felt comfortable. It was only you who was behaving awkward based off all the interactions you've witnessed between him and Yoongi. "How is math going?"

"It's going well! I'm raising my grade and I'm close to getting a B+!" You replied with true enthusiasm. Though speaking with Principal Yoo isn't how you would normally like to spend your time, you actually were pretty happy with your math grade. You're surprised with how well you've been doing. As you spoke with the principal, you began to feel slightly bad for the boys hiding. The rush of emotions were disappearing now and you were thinking more clearly. They were just joking as always. Annoying jokes, but they really meant no harm.

"That's so good to hear. I knew you were a good student to begin with." Principal Yoo nodded to himself. "You came to this school from a public one. I think it shows your true potential and determination."

"Oh...thank you, Principal Yoo. That's very kind of you to say." You bowed. The man only shook his head, muttering that it was the simple truth. Praise should be given when it is deserved, he said.

"And I was wondering, how are your friends doing in that class?" Principal Yoo played with the green cufflink on his sleeve.

"They're doing well!" You answered truthfully. There was no lie there. Namjoon made sure you guys were keeping up with the class. Without him, there was no way you'd be close to getting a B+.

"Really? That's good...even my—" Principal Yoo cleared his throat. "—Min Yoongi?"

"Yoongi?" You restated to see him nod a bit desperately to know. The friendly aura died down from the Principal. Instead, he stared at you with worry. He kept fidgeting with his green cufflink. He searched your expression as you sighed softly. "He's doing well too. He fights with our tutor a bit, but he puts a lot of work and effort into understanding the material."

"Is that so?" Principal Yoo looked almost hopeful. He couldn't stop grinning and quit playing with his cufflink. His air of confidence returned to him as he put his arms behind his back. "Glad to hear that. I'm thankful you've been keeping an eye on him like I've asked you too."

"Well..." You swallowed hard. Now your heart was pounding harshly against your chest. Yoongi must be listening in to this. You didn't want there to be any misunderstandings, but Principal Yoo was already walking away from you.

"It's been a pleasure talking to you, Cha (F/n). Make sure you get to class on time!" He left you unable to clarify his last statement. He may have asked you to keep an eye on Yoongi, but you're his friend. You would have had your eye on him otherwise. It's not like you were reporting weekly to the man about Yoongi's progress! Biting your lip, you slowly turn around to hear the sound of heavy boots turning the corner. The first face you see right away is the pale boy who stared at you with a fierce glare. Two boys soon ran after him, sliding on the floor and quickly grabbing a hold of him for your safety. Yoongi didn't let them stop him from dragging his feet forward. Your throat was dry as he stood a few inches away from you now.

"He told you to keep an eye on me?" Yoongi asked through gritted teeth.

"Only once..." You balled your hands into fists. Yoongi took in a heavy breath in through his nose as if he was seething with anger. The only thing preventing you from feeling fear was the fact that he wasn't angry at you. His nostrils flared and his fists were tight. But he was staring in the direction that Principal Yoo had walked away in.

"...I don't know if this is a bad time to interrupt, but I'm really sorry, (F/n)." Hoseok lifted his finger to catch your attention. Yoongi and Namjoon looked at the boy with pursed lips. It wasn't the best time, but you accepted it. You walked over to Hoseok to give him a hug, taking the other two boys by surprise. Hoseok only wrapped his arms around you and rubbed your back. "I really am. I didn't mean to push the joke so far...is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"This is just fine." You sighed peacefully with your head against his shoulder. Hoseok smiled as he looked down at you. Automatically, Namjoon made his way over to join the hug. Hoseok gave Namjoon a frown and Yoongi only shook his head. "Aren't you going to join?"

"Sure..." Yoongi dragged his feet over, pretending like he would rather be doing anything else. You stretched your arm out to him, motioning him over. Yoongi took your hand and was immediately pulled in.

"This was supposed to be my apology to (F/n)," Hoseok whined.

"This is platonic." Namjoon smacked the boy's forehead. "I think (F/n) is going to stay away from having crushes for a while."

"I am," You said.

"That's probably for the best," Yoongi mumbled.

"Hey, when does class start?" Hoseok raised a brow.

"In...one minute." Namjoon checked his watch. Sh*t.

The four of you scrambled to get to your classes. It was a complete mess at first. The four of you stopped hugging and began pushing each other away. Namjoon tripped, bringing Yoongi down with him. Hoseok bolted off, screaming 'bye' at the top of his lungs. Yoongi growled as he moved Namjoon away. He quickly started going to his own class. You told Namjoon you would see him at lunch as well as the others. The tall male nodded weakly as he got onto his feet. The clock was ticking, but luckily all of you managed to arrive just in time.

*~*

The boys had to move out of the way. As soon as you guys arrived to Namjoon's house, you had to rush to the bathroom. The three of them chuckled to see your rushed form running off. You were in such a hurry that you brought your backpack inside with you. It didn't matter too much, but you ended up being grateful you brought it in with you. When you used the toilet, you let out a heavy sigh to see the unwelcomed surprise.

"I got my period..." You pouted. At least you have a pad in your backpack.

Meanwhile you dealt with your little situation, the boys moved into the kitchen. Hoseok tossed his bag onto the floor without a care. He sat down at a chair like Namjoon's house was his own. Even Yoongi was extremely comfortable being in this house. They come here practically every day. Yoongi only misses sessions on the occasion for piano lessons, but he still felt natural. He dropped his body onto a seat as Namjoon got ready to start his review. He didn't have as much planned today though. Something was on his mind that he was struggling to push away.

It was the principal. Though Hoseok had his own questions about it, it only ever came to his head when the awkward situations popped up. With Namjoon, he was willing to drop it at times to respect Yoongi's privacy. He always believed the principal's interest in Yoongi was due to his delinquent behavior. Now he didn't know what exactly to think. The principal told you to keep an eye on Yoongi? Why? Yoongi and Principal Yoo always seemed to be having these weird interactions, but Yoongi kept silent. Namjoon wouldn't say he was exactly friends with Yoongi, but he wanted some kind of answer.

"So Yoongi..." Namjoon started off. Hoseok looked up from his phone, munching on a cookie as he watched Namjoon speak. The redhead at the end of the table waited for the president to continue. "What's your deal with Principal Yoo?"

Hoseok almost choked on his cookie. He coughed loudly, unable to believe Namjoon's blunt question. Did Namjoon really just ask that? Hoseok patted his chest and quickly reached for his water bottle. Yoongi only ignored Hoseok's shocked reaction. He gave all his attention on Namjoon, narrowing his eyes down on the tall male. He was not a fan of the question whatsoever. To him, it wasn't any of Namjoon's business. He didn't care for his curiosity and was ready to tell the president off. It was a secret Yoongi didn't want anyone knowing. If he could control people from knowing, he would.

"Why do you care?" Yoongi crossed his arms.

"You always get weird around him and Principal Yoo gets weird around you too. What's up with that?" Namjoon set down a pencil on the table. Hoseok bit his lip, his eyes continuously moving back and forth between the two. "He's always asking about you too. He sometimes comes up to me in meetings and now we hear he's asked (F/n) too."

"I don't want him asking about me." Yoongi growled. "I have nothing to say to him or about him. It's none of your business."

"Well, I just don't get why it's this huge secret." Namjoon shrugged. He was growing more annoyed with Yoongi's constant attitude than the lack of answers. He would have given up already if it weren't for the little urge to push Yoongi a little further. "Does it have to do with your past?"

"My past?" Yoongi tilted his head with a scoff. He removed his feet from Namjoon's kitchen table to lean closer. "What exactly do you mean by that? What do you know about my past?" Yoongi's glare became sharp and unforgiving. It could cut, almost making Namjoon want to look away. Hoseok was unable to speak as he sat in the middle of all this.

"You came to class known as the delinquent. Are you telling me it's not true?" Namjoon asked.

"Don't listen to f*cking rumors." Yoongi huffed. "They don't know anything about me."

"What's with all the secrets!?" Namjoon was losing his patience. This was all Yoongi ever did and his temper was leaving with the president. Tolerating Yoongi has always been a battle. He wanted to keep his promise to you, but Yoongi could be so aggravating at times.

"Where are your parents!? You can't expect me to tell you things that don't concern you!" Yoongi slammed his fist on the table. He felt the exact same. He wanted to keep his promise, but Namjoon so easily crawled under his skin. He hated how perfect this guy came off. The smartest guy at school, tall, handsome, living in a nice home, and having a loving younger brother. But there was one thing that was off and Yoongi used it to hurt Namjoon.

"You—" Namjoon's face was turning red with anger.

"Breathe! Calm down!" Hoseok stood up from his seat. He stretched his arms out to keep the boys from killing one another. Yoongi tried taking a step forward, but Hoseok pushed his chest back. The slender boy was done dealing with the president. Some people just aren't meant to get along. Hoseok pushed Namjoon back too, making the tall male worry more about not falling backwards. Hoseok stared at both of them with disappointment. Things weren't going well at all like Hoseok had hoped. There was no natural bonding happening. "Get a control over yourselves! What do you think (F/n) would have to say about this?"

"What's going on?" You stepped into the kitchen.

Hoseok leaped into the air out of pure surprise. He clutched his heart as he faced you with a terrified frown. Almost like he wished you hadn't entered the room. Yoongi was standing with his hands in tight fists. It wasn't until he let out a heavy sigh that he sat down and relaxed. On the other side of the table was Namjoon who looked startled and tired. He shook his head, motioning you and Hoseok to sit down too. You slowly took a seat, but the mood in the room no longer felt right. They never answered your question. And you were almost afraid to ask again. You pursed your lips as you looked down at your notebook. Hoseok did the same, uncomfortable being in the same room with Namjoon and Yoongi.

The class president kept his chin up, looking down at the glaring delinquent. The two of them feeding the tension in the room.


	21. Nothing But A Label

Ch.21

You never found out what you missed while you were in the bathroom. Namjoon went straight into tutoring mode. He refused to let anyone get distracted this time. He made sure all of you were on task. Hoseok was stiff, sucking in his lips most of the time. It looked like he was trying so hard not to speak. He didn't want to cause any issues while you were left in the dark. Then Yoongi listened to Namjoon's instructions but was very slow in doing his work. He's not usually like that when it comes to the sessions. Then again, there was a strange feeling that day.

There was heavy tension in the air that made it almost hard to breathe peacefully. Sitting in the same place as them felt so suffocating. Hoseok and you struggled to look up from your notebooks. Even when the children arrived, they sensed something was off. Taehyung announced his arrival and ushered the two to go up to his room. In hushed whispers, he told them not to bother their hyungs. So they felt it too? The tutoring session was completely silent and Yoongi was the first to go. Though the tension was starting to lift by then, Hoseok and you didn't want to stay a moment longer. It was so draining that you just wanted to go home.

With all that time to cool down, think, and sleep...you would have expected the tension to die down. It was the exact opposite. Namjoon and Yoongi were blatantly glaring right in front of you. They growled and bumped shoulders. Hoseok gave you a worried look, unsure if anything he said would be able to fix anything. The worst part of it all was the fact that they tried to act like nothing was wrong to you. They said they were fine and everything was all good. Yet despite them saying it was 'all good' they look like they want to kill each other. The tension was suffocating you again as they crowded you around your desk. Since everything was 'all good', they tried being next to each other as if they were friends. They would never even do that in the past!

"I hope you studied hard for the test today," Namjoon said in a condescending tone. He gave a dimpled smile to the boy with red wine hair. Yoongi hummed his response, holding back the swears he wanted to scream.

"You don't have to worry about me. I studied so hard last night, I feel like I could take first in the class," Yoongi competitively replied. Namjoon's smile almost fell hearing that. He wanted to grab Yoongi by his jacket and tell him that he could only achieve that in his dreams. But Namjoon knew better than to act like that.

"Oh, now don't get too cocky." Namjoon warned, his eyes growing dark. "That never ends well."

"Nothing wrong with confidence." Yoongi practically puffed his chest out to the taller male. At this point, Hoseok snuck his way in between them and chuckled.

"Alright, we get it. You guys have testosterone! And guess what?" Hoseok continued to push them away from one another. "Me too! So sit down."

"I am sitting!" Yoongi let his body fall into his seat.

"Yoongi..." You frowned. The delinquent then mimicked that he was zipping his lips. He wasn't starting any fights. Clearly he was putting the blame on Namjoon who chewed on his thick lips. He sighed, marching over to his seat that was all the way in the front. Hoseok looked at you with a weak smile. The two of you were trying to keep some sort of balance. Things were falling apart right before your eyes. It was almost maddening. You leave the room for one second during tutoring and then you come back to see them close to cutting each other's throats. Hoseok left to take his own seat as the bell rang.

Mr. Kim started the class, reminding everyone of the test. He gave everyone about five minutes to prepare before he handed out the tests. Normally, you use those five minutes like your life depends on it. Anything to make sure you get a passing grade on the test. Except this time you find yourself lost in your thoughts. Your mind is stuck on trying to figure out what went wrong. Why can't those two get along? It was all you could think about that you ended up using all your studying time. Mr. Kim came by your desk, placing down the test with a small smile.

"Everything okay, Cha (F/n)?" Mr. Kim whispered. You blinked, suddenly aware of what was happening. You were caught a bit off guard to see Mr. Kim so close. There was a small pinch at your heart realizing your crush on him was shattered. But you're glad it was. Mr. Kim is a kind teacher and he deserves your focus as a student.

"I'm okay." You assured him. Mr. Kim patted your shoulder as he went around the classroom to pass out the rest. You're grateful you have him as your teacher. Not many are understanding, but you appreciate all his efforts. It made you feel slightly better from all the chaos.

It helped you pull yourself together for the test. You're not quite sure if you passed it, but that's okay. You're sure things will be fine for the next test. Hopefully. Then things weren't looking so good during the passing period either. Namjoon and Yoongi refused to interact. That wasn't too bad, but it was making you nervous. It felt so awkward having to talk to Hoseok, knowing that those two idiots were thinking about throwing the other off the school roof. By the time you had to go to your next class, you gave up on talking to Namjoon and Yoongi. They were being too stubborn.

You gave Hoseok a hug before you went to class. He's the only sweet one out of the three. The least problematic at least. Hoseok gave you a tight squeeze, muttering that he was going to find a way to lessen the tension. You trusted him and smiled when he kissed the top of your head. It was quick and gentle. Something that made Yoongi and Namjoon realize that silence was not helping them in the slightest. You playfully pinched Hoseok's cheek, telling him not to be so bold at school. People might get the wrong idea. The golden boy only winked and you let him off the hook. He's lucky you've grown used to his personality.

The rest of them waved as you went to your next class. You wished that by the time lunch came around, Yoongi and Namjoon would calm down. Of course, you didn't want to raise your expectations. You highly doubt they were capable of throwing away their pride so quickly. All you hoped was for things not to escalate. Things were already as tense as they were now. You don't know what you would do if they suddenly snapped at each other. It was hard to focus in class once again. God, you really wanted to yell some sense into them, but it would only make things worse.

"Why can't we all just be friends and sh*t?" You muttered to yourself. You didn't mean to let yourself become grumpy. It just sort of happened that way. Though as you entered the cafeteria for lunch, you made sure to clean up your act. Yoongi and Namjoon needed anything positive so they wouldn't kill each other. They were already waiting for the rest of you to show up. You only hated seeing the progress reversing itself. Yoongi sat in the original windowsill while Namjoon sat in the one next to him. They couldn't even sit next to each other anymore. The two acted as if the other didn't exist.

"This is getting bad..." Hoseok's voice said. You quickly looked over your shoulder to see Hoseok holding his lunch. This idiot! He d*mn near scared you. Hoseok gave you an apologetic smile, choosing to ignore your tiny fists that were supposed to protect you.

"What happened? You never told me." You frowned.

"...they started getting personal," Hoseok admitted with hesitation. He didn't know if it was his place to tell you everything they discussed the other day. "Namjoon started asking Yoongi things and then Yoongi turned the tables on him...it wasn't pretty."

"Personal?" You sighed. That only complicated things further. You didn't know where you stood now. It's not like you were involved in their fight, but now you had to be careful with what you said. This fight might end more than one friendship if it grows any bigger. That saying that Yoongi and Namjoon are supposedly friends already. "What are we gonna do, Hoseokie?"

"For now, we can only stop them from starting fights." Hoseok placed his hand at the small of your back. He started walking you over to the windowsill where the two boys sat quietly. "We should head over there. They can't be left alone for long."

Yoongi and Namjoon perked up when they saw the two of you walking over. The only reason their excitement died down was when they realized their friend group was four and not three. Again, you felt the ropes of tension wrapping itself around your neck. It sat you down on the window, preventing you from moving or speaking. It felt so tight. The only ones free to do as they pleased were the ones feeding the monster. Namjoon wanted to speak without getting interrupted by Yoongi. The redhead next to you wasn't hiding his disdain for Namjoon at this point. He wanted the president out of his sight.

"Mind shutting up for a second?" Namjoon almost slammed down his eating utensil.

"I've been wanting you to do the same for a while now," Yoongi retorted.

"What? You think you're funny?" Namjoon remarked.

"Stop it guys. You're making (F/n) uncomfortable." Hoseok scolded them. Yoongi's jaw became tight. He badly wanted to tear Namjoon to shreds. Namjoon took a second to look at you, seeing how your eyes were glued to your lap. "She's going to leave if you continue. You're only upsetting us and helping no one."

"...thanks, Hoseokie," You mumbled. It was incredibly disappointing to see them losing control. They were acting like animals. The two of them trying to prove their dominance, claiming their territory, and fighting to stay. And anything you did could only make it worse. With your special ability of not having control over your words or tone, you'd set everything on fire. It's best to leave everything to Hoseok. But you so badly wanted to help him put the pieces together. Why did things have to go so wrong?

"Sorry..." Yoongi finally held back.

"My bad." Namjoon cleared his throat. He wanted to say more, but figured it was best to stop there.

Hoseok gave you a gentle nod. He was doing his best to tame the two boys. Though you knew that wasn't going to last as lunch eventually came to an end. Yoongi was like a tiger, ready to pounce and devour the president who posed a threat. Namjoon was almost like a bald eagle in your eyes. He could hurt someone if he wanted to with his talons. He was sharp and quick to Yoongi's aggressive nature. There was only so much time before the two of them finally lost it. Soon they wouldn't be able to tolerate being in the same room together. That idea was your worst nightmare.

Having them near each other felt like there was a bomb ticking. Normally, you weren't thrilled to be tutored in your worst subject. Today was a hundred times worse. The tension was only growing. No matter what Hoseok and you did, the hate only augmented. It was almost feeling hopeless as the four of you sat in Namjoon's kitchen. You were surprised Yoongi didn't fake a piano lesson that he had to go to. He came, almost wanting to see if the bomb would truly explode. Did he want it to? Even the three children could feel it. Taehyung announced his arrival quietly and ushered his friends into his room once again. Everything was making you feel sick.

You bit your lip as Namjoon taught the three of you with a cold air around him. He wasn't as friendly and it was affecting his teaching. He was going at a fast pace, not really explaining the material fully through.

"C-Can you explain that one more time?" You asked. Namjoon moved his eyes from his notebook papers to connect with yours. They softened slightly and he nodded.

"I can. Sorry, I went through that faster than normal," He apologized.

"It's cool, Dude. Don't stress about it." Hoseok smiled.

Namjoon started from the beginning without a problem. It came out a lot better this time. He was making sure Hoseok and you understood it. Though as he spent more time on this subject, he noticed Yoongi was texting on his phone. The male scoffed to himself. He wasn't volunteering his time to help his classmates only to get ignored. Namjoon stopped scribbling extra notes on Hoseok's paper to glare at Yoongi. It felt like the bomb's time was finally down to its last couple seconds. Your heart was racing and Hoseok was looking down at his lap. He appeared so frustrated as the bomb went off. Namjoon roughly slammed his mechanical pencil onto the table to catch Yoongi's attention.

"Who are you texting?" Namjoon walked over to him.

"Don't make me laugh." Yoongi continued to type. Namjoon had had enough of the delinquent's behavior. Yoongi was now only proving his label to the uptight president. All of Yoongi's efforts to improve were boiled down to the rumors that constantly dragged around him at school. He's a good for nothing. Namjoon tried stealing the delinquent's phone but failed. Just the attempt made Yoongi furious. "What are you doing!? F*ck off! You think you're some kind of teacher?"

"Then what are you here for? You're just wasting my time!" Namjoon shouted. "And get your d*mn feet off my table! You think this is your household? I generously opened it up to you and help you pass math class, but this is the thanks I get? Was this how you were raised? Were you raised to be a _disrespectful brat_?" The tall male pushed it too far. Yoongi stood up from his set, his nostrils flaring now. "Your parents failed you."

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" Yoongi quickly gripped Namjoon's shirt. He grabbed a fist full of cloth, resisting the urge to punch the male in his home. Yoongi was done with Namjoon's sh*t. Always acting like he was better than Yoongi because of his grades and decent reputation. In the end, Namjoon was just a strict rule follower in Yoongi's eyes. People like Namjoon never thought for themselves. They went along with society's standards. Someone like Namjoon was going to give their life up to school and live life like a zombie once they joined the corporate world. There was nothing special about the class president. "You don't have a right to talk about things you know nothing about!"

"Like you have a right to threaten me in my own home!" Namjoon pushed the male away. "You're no good, you know that? You're a piece of sh*t. Always starting fights and all kinds of problems. You're an infection to our school. How you got in is beyond me, but we don't want you."

"You think I want to go to that school!?" Yoongi screamed.

"People like you are going to turn to drugs! You're going to drop out and end up in prison! You'll be nothing, but a gas station attendant!" Namjoon raised his voice even louder. "You'll be forgotten and no one is going to miss you! You think because you're this 'cool' delinquent that you get to do whatever you want. Well, no. Life doesn't work that way—"

"Hey, f*ck face! I don't give a rat's @ss about how life works! I don't care what you think my place in life is. You don't get to dictate that and no one will ever get to tell me that! Only I make those types of choices. Just because I'm an @sshole, doesn't mean I don't have people I care about or people that care about me!" Yoongi was breathing heavily. "I have dreams and aspirations, but you wouldn't care to ask! Why? Because you're nothing but a walking clone! You'll do anything life tells you to do. You follow the rules and you'll end up with a good job, but guess what? _None_ of that will mean anything."

"I'm not a clone," Namjoon spoke through gritted teeth.

"The hell you aren't! All you do is focus on school and your grades! It's like your life is devoted to it! Is there anything you do that isn't revolved around that? You just follow society and live mindlessly, never thinking for yourself!" Yoongi wanted to rip his hair out. "You have a stick so far shoved up your @ss that you can't even see it! Even if you had a dream, you would ignore it for something safe! You'll never take risks and I'd rather die than live so pathetically like that!"

"...get out." Namjoon's voice was becoming shaky. His face grew red as he stared furiously at Yoongi.

"What? Because I'm right? Because you know you'll never be happy in life? Everything you do will end up being meaningless, Kim Namjoon!" Yoongi kicked the chair in front of him.

"GET OUT." Namjoon pushed the shorter male.

"You and I will NEVER have anything in common." Yoongi grabbed his backpack. "Have fun living like you're dead."

"_Just get the f*ck out, Min Yoongi_," Namjoon whispered painfully.

"F*ck you!" Yoongi stormed out. He had all his things with him as he went on the door.

And you were left stunned. Hoseok and you watched Namjoon shatter in the kitchen. He turned around to hide himself in the corner of the room. He covered his face with the sleeve of his jacket, breathing shakily. You could tell Namjoon wanted to be stronger than this. He wanted to hide his emotions, but he must have felt some truth in Yoongi's words. And that's what was getting to him the most. Otherwise Yoongi would have only been spouting nonsense to Namjoon's ears. The tall male's shoulders were jolting up and down. Hoseok immediately stood up to walk over to his friend while you looked out the door.

"Hey, bud. It's gonna be okay..." Hoseok rubbed the boy's back.

"God, Min Yoongi." You winced as you stood up from your chair.

"You should go after him," Hoseok said.

"What?" You turned to him in shock. You were surprised he would say that in the middle of comforting Namjoon. The boy had turned around, his eyes already red and his jaw trembling. Hoseok hugged the male who was breathing quickly. As Namjoon tried to calm himself down, Hoseok motioned you to go. He was going to handle Namjoon and it was your job to take care of Yoongi.

The tiger couldn't have gone that far. You grabbed all your things as you walked out the door in a hurry. This was an emergency. You were already thinking on what the plan was once you find him. First, you need to calm him down from his anger. Or he could be hyperventilating too like Namjoon was. Either way, you would slowly ease him into a mood where he would feel comfortable speaking to you in a vulnerable state. The way he spoke to Namjoon was unacceptable. Opening the front door, you were ready to run down the street looking for him. Except you opened it to be greeted by a handsome face. He stared at you in surprise, his hand still ready to knock on the door.

"Cha (F/n)." Mr. Kim smiled.

"Uh, I'm sorry...I have to go. I can't really chat." You carefully went around him.

"Did I make you uncomfortable? If so, I'm really sorry..." Mr. Kim continued to face you. He was sincere, but now really wasn't the time to have this conversation.

"No! Not at all! It's just I have to..." You quickly looked down the street. There was no sight of a boy with red wine hair. He had completely vanished and you have no idea where he lives. "D*mn it."


	22. Delinquent

Ch.22

"D*mn it, d*mn it, why!?" You stomped your foot.

Things were only crumbling now. A large part of you wanted to cry out of pure frustration. Was this really how things had to end? It was so painful watching Yoongi and Namjoon yell at each other. They're such sweet boys in reality. Seeing them behave so cruelly...they know better. They _should_ know better. Mr. Kim stared at you trying to hold in your emotions. He was sympathetic as he carefully stepped closer. He wanted to comfort you as an adult you could trust, but he was still your teacher. The same one who student-zoned you and rightfully so.

"May I ask what's going on?" Mr. Kim questioned softly. "If you don't mind telling me what has you so stressed."

"It's Yoongi," You answered. Taking in a deep breath, you blinked your eyes repeatedly in hopes of getting rid of the sting. "He left and I need to find him, b-but I don't even know where he lives and—"

"Breathe for me, Cha (F/n)." Mr. Kim grabbed your shoulders. You hadn't even noticed how fast you were speaking. It felt like everything leaving your mouth was coming out in stutters. You were all over the place. Yoongi, where are you? The man in front of you took his time with you. It was something not everyone would get from an adult, much less a teacher outside of school. Something was different with him. He only became more human to you and less attached to his job. Seokjin squeezed your shoulders as you noticed the three children coming over to the doorstep. They remained quiet with hurt expressions. Did they hear the fighting? Jungkook had his things ready but let Seokjin speak to you. "Take a second to clear your mind."

"Okay..." You nodded. Seokjin smiled again once you were doing better. He straightened his posture as he looked in the direction Yoongi had run off in.

"I saw him as I was coming here in my car," Seokjin stated. "And...I also know his address."

"Y-You do? How?" Your eyes widened. Seokjin removed his hands from your shoulders to pull out a pen. He took your hand, writing down the address with a sigh.

"You'll know when you get there. For now, do what you need to do." Seokjin put the cap back on the pen. "I wish you best of luck."

"Thank you, Mr. Kim." You bowed before running off. The address was already familiar. Yoongi was right when he told you he lived near the school. There was no need for him to go on the bus with you in the beginning of the year.

Slamming your feet on the pavement, you refused to stop running. Even with your legs growing tired and your lungs burning. You had to check his home first. The second option was Midnight Measure, but you would have to go there at night. It's not like you have a ride there though. It was now or never. You had to talk to him while he was vulnerable or else he would never open up. You ran harder, ignoring your aching feet. You pumped your legs faster in the direction of his home. On your way there, you could see the castle like school sitting on top of its hill. A smile came onto your face as you knew you were getting closer to Yoongi.

There was the street name. Turning on the corner, you stared at the numbers placed on each home. One of these homes had to be his own. That's when you saw the exact number and you felt a wave of relief hit you. Your legs slowed down as you walked up to the door. You ignored the burning and tight feeling in your calves. Licking your lips, you did your best to catch your breath before knocking on the door. Hopefully Yoongi is the one who opens the door. As soon as you felt you were pulled together, you knocked on the door. The sun was already setting, but you weren't giving up. You'd wait for him for as long as it takes.

There were voices inside. You could hear a woman ordering anyone to open the door. She just wanted someone to do it already so you wouldn't be left waiting. There was an annoyed groan before you heard the click of the door. Straightening your posture, you smiled as the door cracked opened to reveal a grumpy looking Yoongi. He really does live here! Yoongi's eyes widened to see you standing on his doorstep. He had no idea how you could have possibly found him. The only thing you found strange was the fact that he never opened the door wide. He kept it closed with only his head poking out. Now that you were in front of him, it looked like he wanted to close it even more.

"(F-F/n)?" Yoongi frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Why do you think?" You stepped closer. "We have to talk, Yoongi. What was all that?"

"I'm really not in the mood for that conversation..." Yoongi gripped the door tightly. You wanted to tell him that you didn't care for his mood. The two of you had to talk about that fight right now. Was he really holding in all that anger in for Namjoon? All this time, you felt like Yoongi hated Namjoon for dumb reasons. Next thing you know, Yoongi is attacking Namjoon for not having a passion. He hated him for playing it safe. It felt so weird to witness that you needed to have a proper conversation with Yoongi. Why did it bother him so much how Namjoon lived his life?

"Yoongi, what happened back there wa—" You wanted to get through to him, but the boy didn't want to listen. He ran back home for a reason. And he didn't want you sticking around here any longer or else...

"Who's at the door?" A male voice asked.

"No one!" Yoongi growled.

"It's not no one, Yoongi-ya." A hand pulled the door out of Yoongi's grip. The teenager looked horrified as the door was opened wide by the owner of the voice. You were baffled at first until your eyes connected with the older man.

"P-Principal Yoo?" Your jaw fell.

Yoongi's face paled at the truth coming out. There were still a lot of questions popping up in your head. Principal Yoo stood behind Yoongi, dressed in casual attire. Did he live here too? If he did then did that mean...? But then why wasn't Yoongi's last name Yoo? The principal placed his hands on Yoongi's shoulders, but the teenage boy only tensed up. He shook his hands off and ignored Principal Yoo's frown. You didn't know what to think as Principal Yoo gave you a dry chuckle. This wasn't exactly supposed to happen. Yoongi had been keeping it a secret and even Principal Yoo never admitted it to you or his friends.

"Miss Cha, fancy meeting you here," He said. "I hear tutoring ended a bit early."

"S-Something like that," You responded nervously. You rubbed your arm awkwardly as Yoongi glared at the man.

"Can you leave?" Yoongi scoffed.

"Yoongi-ya, please."

"Stop that! Go!" Yoongi barked.

"Min Yoongi! Be kind to your father!" A woman came out of the kitchen wearing an apron. She had her hair up in a tight bun, ready to smack some sense into Yoongi. She only halted once she saw you standing on the doorstep. A visitor. Her face turned scarlet in embarrassment. She placed her hand on her cheek, gasping at the surprise. "Who is this?"

"Hello, I'm Cha (F/n)." You bowed. "Yoongi's friend..."

"D-Do you want to stay for dinner? It's just about done." She smiled. You could see the resemblance with her and Yoongi. She had very round cheeks with narrow, sharp eyes. She could be strict if she wanted too or very caring. It was very obvious that Yoongi and her were related. Then your eyes traveled over to Principal Yoo. Or Yoo Myunghan. He looked nothing alike with the redhead. Things were beginning to make sense in a way. Why Mr. Yoo acted so strangely around Yoongi and why Yoongi knew his first name.

"You should stay. We would love to have Yoongi-ya's friend over." Mr. Yoo tried patting Yoongi's shoulder. That only ended with his hand getting smacked away. Ms. Min's face immediately dropped at her son's actions.

"Let's get one thing clear. You. Are. Not. My. Dad," Yoongi hissed. "And you never will be. Got that?"

"Min Yoongi..." His Mom warned. Yoongi crossed his arms as he snarled at Mr. Yoo. The elder man showed the same sad eyes he did in the cafeteria after Yoongi had yelled at him. The ones where he looks helpless and can't do anything. Yoongi's skin was burning at this point. He was furious with Namjoon and now he had to deal with 'family' issues. He couldn't stand any of this. He hated it even more that you had to be here to witness what usually happens behind doors.

"I'm trying, Yoongi-ya—" Mr. Yoo attempted.

"I don't care! You married Eomma and that's it. You're nothing to me and you should feel the same." Yoongi grabbed the door. Ms. Min and Mr. Yoo both looked broken hearted as the boy shut the door before they could say anything. Yoongi quickly grabbed you, swearing under his breath. He was so tired of this. You had no idea what was going on as he pulled you over to his bike. You quickly assumed he was running away and bringing you with him. A helmet was tossed in your direction as he revved up the bike. You let out a sigh as you went on the bike with him. Yoongi sped down the street, not once looking back.

It was hard to understand Yoongi's emotions fully. It genuinely looked like Mr. Yoo was trying his hardest to be seen as a father figure for him. He treated Yoongi kindly and even cared to look out for him at school. You thought it was worth giving Mr. Yoo a shot, but you weren't Yoongi. You would never truly understand unless you were in his shoes. Wrapping your arms tighter around him, you noticed he was driving in the same route the bus took you home. Is he taking you back to your place? Every turn he took was only proving your theory correct.

You told Yoongi your exact address since the two of you were nearing it. He silently droved up to your empty house. It felt weird having him over at your place. It's not like your parents were here though. It wouldn't make a difference to have him be inside. Yoongi stopped the bike, getting off and took your helmet as you handed it to him. He only stared at the ground as you unlocked the front door. You were already preparing yourself for everything. Yoongi was looking sick as he followed you inside your house. His hands were trembling from the emotionally exhausting day.

Yoongi went with you to your bedroom. It was the place he was most comfortable being in ironically enough. He was used to it from always breaking in. Since it was familiar with him, you figured it would be best to discuss the events from today in there with him. Yoongi knew he had no choice but to tell you at least something. He couldn't leave you in the dark anymore. The secrets have grown too big and they were coming to bite him just like the old secrets he tried keeping from you. It felt like Yoongi was finally learning his lesson.

"(F/n)..." Yoongi stayed standing near your bedroom door. You were already sitting down on your mattress, waiting for him to join you. He kept his glum expression until you patted the spot next to you.

"Come sit." You smiled as he came over. He let his body sink into the mattress, tired of everything going on in his life. He stared at the ceiling in a daze. "Talk to me."

"Where to start? Everything is a f*cking mess." Yoongi groaned, running his hands over his face. You laid down on your bed to lie next to him.

"Do you want to start with Namjoon or Principal Yoo?" You asked.

"I hate both."

"Namjoon it is." You decided.

"No...I'll talk about Myunghan." Yoongi sighed heavily. He wasn't so sure he wanted to get into his fight with Namjoon just yet. You're still friends with Namjoon and Yoongi didn't want to lose you over saying something stupid. Not that he felt that confident about his friendship with you at the moment. Yoongi ran a hand through his hair, trying to word everything correctly. He was struggling to make sense of his emotions. It made sense to him, but he didn't know if you would understand. You had both of your biological parents and they were happily married. That wasn't the case with him.

"I'll listen." You nodded, promising to understand him to the best of your abilities. Yoongi took in a breath, rubbing his eyes.

"My Eomma started dating him back when I was in eighth grade. I didn't care for him much since he was mainly there for my Eomma. Great that she feels happy with him, but...it feels like she keeps him for own happiness. She never thought about my own when it came to him suddenly joining in. Even now, I don't really care to start anything with him." Yoongi gritted his teeth. "I've never had an interest in getting to know him. All his attempts were small in the beginning. I feel like they're all to get on Eomma's good side. I doubt he cares for me like I'm his actual child...it's all about Eomma and him. Things aren't about me anymore. Whenever I have a problem with this stranger in my own 'home', I'm the issue and it makes no f*cking sense."

"So you don't consider him your Appa? Or Step—?"

"No way. He's married to Eomma, but there is no relation when it comes to me." Yoongi glared at the ceiling. "I really don't care what he does anymore. They can be happy together. It only...feels like my Eomma chose him over me sometimes."

"But you're her son." You frowned.

"Exactly! So why...why does she always take his side?" Yoongi bit his bottom lip. "I don't know. All I know is that I want him to leave me alone at school. I want him to stop pushing it because I'm not stupid. I'm not going to see this random guy who showed up later in my life as my Appa!"

"I get what you mean." You watched him loosen his tight fists. He was slowly relaxing as he let all his feelings out.

"Whatever...Myunghan isn't an awful person, but I'm not interested in getting closer to him. Everything was fine when it was just me and my Eomma. Though my real Abeoji didn't want us, we stayed strong. She worked hard to raise me by herself. We had each other no matter what and I was happy with that. I thought we were both happy with that..." Yoongi pursed his lips. "Then yeah...Eomma met Myunghan and I hated it. She had been dating him for a couple months without telling me. I didn't know she was able to keep secrets from me. It hurts so much and I still get jealous with him. I'm sixteen f*cking years old, but I still want my Eomma's attention..."

"I mean, I think it's natural to want that. You're not crazy." You put your hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks...I just can't help the jealousy. The feeling of betrayal. No one else shows these feelings. It's just me and it makes me feel so alone." Yoongi sighed. "Eventually he made us move in with him. Then he insisted I go to the school he's in charge of. With its great education system and reputation, Eomma told me to take it. That's how I got in...and I doubt I could ever really get expelled."

"I see. That makes a lot of sense actually." You looked back on everything that's happened in the past. Now that Yoongi explained everything with the Principal, he knew he had to get on the topic of Namjoon. He really didn't want to. He also didn't want to go back home either. You could tell the second he grabbed one of your pillows, holding it tightly against his body. "Do you want to have a sleepover?"

"A sleepover?" Yoongi began to smirk. He thought about it, smiling and squeezing the pillow harder. "I'd love that."

"If my parents call, your name is Yoonji and you're a girl." You giggled. Yoongi rolled his eyes but went along with it. The two of you scooted farther up your bed to rest against the headboard. Yoongi knew there was no way of avoiding the topic of Namjoon. Even looking back on his actions, he knew he was ruthless on the boy. You silently waited for Yoongi to say something. He could take as much time as he needed. He sighed and tilted his head in annoyance when he remembered the fight clearly.

"Don't get mad at me please," Yoongi started, "But Namjoon deserved it. He really needed someone to put him in his place. It's not my fault that I was spot on. If my words were lies then he wouldn't have cared but you saw his face. I'm right! And people like him annoy me."

"People like him?" You wanted him to elaborate. Who exactly was Kim Namjoon to him? Yoongi stuttered, making sure your emotional expression wasn't hiding anger.

There was no anger though. Not at the moment if you were being honest. You were mad with him at first, but now you just wanted to know the truth. Yoongi continued to reveal his thoughts about Namjoon. He believed that Namjoon would never accomplish anything meaningful in life. Yoongi didn't think bowing down to school was the right way to go about things. That's why he hated Namjoon. Everything Namjoon did was what he hated about growing up in this world. Everyone would believe that someone like Namjoon was a model person. The top of his class and excelling in his studies. It was all bullsh*t to Yoongi. School ends eventually and then what next? Namjoon can't get an A+ in everything.

You understood Yoongi's frustration in pieces. It wasn't Namjoon's fault that he wasn't thinking outside the box. He's not a bad person or pathetic for not being bold to do something outside of the norm. The only parts you felt like you could agree with Yoongi on was the importance of school. It was emphasized too much, but you agreed it wasn't everything. It's not going to be the reason you succeed in life. People succeed doing many things. In the end, Yoongi's beliefs were too strong. He felt if you didn't go for your dreams then you left so many wasted opportunities behind.

"...what about me, Yoongi?" You asked to see his surprised look. "I don't know what I want to do in life. I feel like I do the same thing every day. I have no real passion or desire. Aren't I a waste too?"

"N-No!" Yoongi shook his head. "Just because you haven't found it...you'll find it, (F/n). You're not a waste. I worded that wrong..."

"But that's exactly what you meant." You patted his hand. "Don't worry, Yoongi. I'm not mad. I just want you to understand that there has to be a balance for everything."

"A balance? Are you saying that I'm taking things too far?" He furrowed his brows. With the expression on your face, he knew what he said was true. Even if there were things you could agree with him on, you didn't want him thinking he was superior than others for his thinking. That would only lead him into being another hypocrite.

"You can't say Namjoon is an @ss for thinking he's superior for following society and then go off acting like you're superior for doing the opposite," You stated. "That just makes you a douche."

"Oh...well, that's just f*cking great." Yoongi chuckled. But he was finally understanding what you meant. That left you relieved since you felt it would take all night. Yoongi felt his anger towards Namjoon was mainly sparked from everything happening his life. He felt like someone who wasn't even his real Dad was trying to control his life and he hated that his mother wasn't supporting his dreams. He felt alone in this, but he knew what he was doing was right. He felt it every time he was on stage. Then he snapped at Namjoon for practically being a mini them. He didn't want to deal with more people like that in his life. Especially from someone his own age.

Eventually, Yoongi and you decided to call it a night. The two of you decided to go to sleep already. There was going to be one last day of school tomorrow before the weekend finally came. At least tomorrow is Friday. Then in two weeks, you guys are going to get winter break. That was something you were already looking forward to. Normally, you thought about it late at night and you would fall asleep dreaming that you did something exciting. It wasn't really working tonight. You were only laying in your bed and staring at your ceiling with eyes opened wide. Not even a little bit of sleepiness came over you during an entire hour.

Then there was Yoongi who was feeling the exact same. He laid next to you on your bed. He was telling himself not to overthink it. Besides, he could normally fall asleep anywhere he pleased. Tonight, was unfortunately not one of those nights. His eyes were tired and he was also just exhausted from all the chaos from today. No matter how much he mentally wanted a break, he couldn't drift off into slumber. He stayed still like you and pursed his lips. How long could he stare at the ceiling before saying anything? This wasn't going to do. Yoongi sat up and looked at you over his shoulder with a weak smile.

"Wanna go to Midnight Measure?"

There were hushed giggles as the two of you hurried to his bike. Under the night sky, the both of you sped off to Midnight Measure. Yoongi was already looking better the second you guys arrived. He stepped down the stairs while you looked around, seeing the wet narrow streets reflecting the neon light signs and the back alleys. It's surprising how you've gotten so used to coming here. Soon Yoongi grabbed your wrist, tugging you inside the warm building. It was dark until the MC came on stage. He announced that tonight people would be doing rap battles. The second Yoongi heard that, he squeezed your wrist tightly. Doing battles was one of his favorite things to do here.

"I'm signing up." Yoongi started walking away from you. He was already filled with determination. You knew he was going to take this chance to let out his frustrations on some poor soul. As soon as you were left alone, you didn't panic. Instead you looked around for Yoongi's fanboys. They practically lived here so it wouldn't be too hard finding them. That's when you saw Junsuh coming out of the bathroom. He towered over everyone else. The second you started jumping up and down, he spotted you. He walked over with a smile and you felt a little more comfortable being here. The fanboys were sort of like your body guards every time you were here.

"Junsuh-ssi! Where are the others?" You rushed to him.

"They're being idiots." Junsuh sighed as he looked around. "Jaegyu is with a girl and Jinyo followed me into the bathroom."

"So you left him in the bathroom?" You didn't try holding back your laughter. To be honest, you think this is the most you've heard Junsuh speak. He normally doesn't talk this much with his friends. You believe it's because he doesn't want to deal with their sh*t most of the time. He clearly still loves them though. Junsuh chuckled, nodding at your question. That's when Jinyo came out of the bathroom with wet hands. They were still dripping water as he ran over, whining that Junsuh left him alone.

"Yo @ss!" Jinyo flicked the water on Junsuh's face. "Take that! Maybe you'll think twice before you abandon me with a couple of weirdos in the bathroom!" Jinyo huffed while Junsuh only wiped the water off his check. The giant male stared at his hand before aggressively gripping Jinyo's tiny wrist. Things weren't looking so good for Jinyo anymore. He swallowed hard, remembering that he never had a chance of winning fights with his friends. "I-I'm sorry."

"You're fine." Junsuh released him. The silent male shoved his hands back into his pockets. He kept his eyes busy watching the stage. Rap battles would be starting soon.

Jinyo rubbed his wrist with a pout on his face. Out of all the fanboys, you felt Jinyo was the least intimidating. He was small and cute to you which you knew would only piss him off if you told him. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be. Soon Jinyo's eyes connected with yours after glaring at his friend. He grinned, quickly asking you if Yoongi was here. If Yoongi was here then he would definitely be participating in the rap battle. Jinyo had to text Jaegyu to get near the stage. Their favorite underground rapper was going to perform tonight. In less than a minute, you saw Jaegyu running over here with a couple new hickeys on his neck.

"Gross. You have no class." Jinyo sighed.

"Shut up." Jaegyu ruffled his hair with a smirk.

"You're probably giving me diseases." Jinyo smacked his hand away.

"The both of you are diseases." Junsuh barked at them. The two quickly sealed their lips at their scarier friend's words. "It's starting."

Jinyo brought you closer to the stage with them. Junsuh would only make them quiet if it was important. Otherwise, he'd let the two idiots' bicker all they wanted and ignore them. The three boys kept their eyes on the stage that was glowing red. The MC announced the rappers for the first battle. Unfortunately, Yoongi wasn't coming out just yet. You were still excited to see the competition Yoongi was up against. He's never won the rap battle competitions, but he's gotten close. Maybe tonight would be his night. The three fanboys were already grinning as the first battle of the night began. Tonight was going to be good.

Yoongi felt that inside him too. He was currently backstage, waiting for the first round to finish. He was up next. He felt anxious as he waited in the dark. The crowd was going crazy over the two rappers currently on stage. Yoongi was barely even listening to them. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He loves to rap for fun, but he felt like winning tonight. Something to help him prove that he was working hard towards his dreams. He held his mic tightly in his sweaty hands. The timer was running out for the two on stage. Yoongi took in a deep breath and told himself that he was going to let his emotions talk. For a sixteen-year-old boy, he was already a bit tired with the crap he's had to deal with in life. He was going to make it better no matter what.

The crowd chose the rapper they wanted going off to the next round. Yoongi walked onto the stage as the MC introduced him and his competitor. As Yoongi stepped onto the stage, he felt like everything was in slow motion. The hot lights on him that were glowing green now. He could barely see the crowd that were left in the shadows. He stopped walking once he reached the center of the stage. The person he was battling was slowly making their way with their head down. They had their hands on their white hoodie, ready to take it off for the performance. Once he stopped in front of Yoongi, he removed his hood and stared at Yoongi with wide eyes. The stage lights shifted into a blue and the both of them were stunned.

"And now we have Suga battling RM!" The MC motioned to the two rappers. The crowd was going wild while you stopped clapping as hard. Squinting your eyes at the male in the white hoodie, you couldn't believe who you were seeing.

"Namjoon?"


	23. Face to Face

Ch.23

"Namjoon?"

Yoongi stared at the tall male in shock. He couldn't believe who was standing right in front of him. The same guy he completely ripped apart for not having a passion. He boxed Namjoon because it felt like the boy's only interest and focus was on school. Now Yoongi didn't know what to think. It would be different if Namjoon had a different hobby. Any other hobby would have been fine. But no. Yoongi found Namjoon at Midnight Measure, ready to enter a rap battle with him. Shock was having trouble exiting Yoongi's system. The uptight class president...as an underground rapper?

Namjoon was just as surprised. He was also horrified that someone he recognized has caught him. This was all meant to be a secret. His blood did begin to boil the longer he stared at Yoongi though. It was the same guy who told him that he did nothing in life. Namjoon's grip on the mic became stronger. He was going to prove to Yoongi that he has a passion too. This was the life he secretly worked hard towards too. Namjoon clicked his tongue the second he heard three men cheering on Yoongi by his stage name. One of them also did cheer Namjoon in return, getting the male to smirk.

"This is unexpected..." Namjoon took in a breath.

"You gotta be f*cking kidding me." Yoongi's brows knitted together. He really wanted to see what Namjoon was capable of. He wanted to have a nice laugh. What in the world could his class president have prepared for him? Or maybe, Yoongi should teach him how it's done.

"I'll show you whose life is meaningless after this." Namjoon's words were still bitter. Yoongi could already see Namjoon's aura changing on stage. It almost made Yoongi sweat, but he wasn't going down that easily.

The MC was getting the crowd hyped up for the following battle. You didn't know what to think as you witnessed the two meet each other like this. Jinyo and Jaegyu were cheering Yoongi on with full support. Then there was Junsuh who was quietly supporting both Namjoon and Yoongi. Was Namjoon the rapper Junsuh had taken a liking to? That meant Namjoon had to be good. He's come here often too. It slowly explained a couple things. His loaded playlists and what you assumed to be lyrics in the green notebook he kept close to him as if his life depended on it. Namjoon let Yoongi go first, but his glare stayed strong on the male.

"Alright, Class Prez...but don't say I didn't warn ya," Yoongi said into the microphone. Soon a beat was dropped for Yoongi to flow with. The three fanboys paused on their cheering, confused with the way Yoongi addressed the other rapper. They looked at you for some context and you remained speechless with your eyes glued on them. "Problematic, systematic! You're nothing but automatic! Shoe licker, crowd pleaser, you're nothing but a dream killer. Robotic, lethargic, you're probably a starving artist!"

Namjoon narrowed his eyes on the male. He growled already with the stance Yoongi was taking. By bringing back the fight they had earlier into the battle, it only made Namjoon glow with fury. He wanted so badly to destroy Yoongi and win the battle. He had to admit it though; he was impressed by the slender male. His freestyle wasn't perfection, but Namjoon could tell Yoongi at least felt on fire at the moment. Yoongi was using up all his left over feelings from the fight to come up with his words on the spot. It was the only time he felt somewhat confident over his freestyle.

"Manic, I'm an addict, I'm a shopaholic, workaholic! I spend hours on my sh*t, all you need to do is sit. I'll make you my little b*tch! Have my honey call you 'unnie'!" Yoongi grinned as the crowd continued hyping him up. Some people turned over to look at you, laughing while you felt embarrassed. Namjoon gritted his teeth and followed their eyes. They connect with yours and his confusion only grew. He looked over at Yoongi again, ready to kill Yoongi once it's his turn. "You're basic b*tch, you're tragic! I see you're looking panicked, huh? I'm funny! I'm money, woo! That's more than you and you know what, Kim Namjoon?" Yoongi stopped flowing to speak to the male normally. "Fools like you should stay in school."

Jinyo was losing it. He was clinging onto both Junsuh and Jaegyu as he fanboyed. He commented that he's never seen Yoongi perform like this before. In his eyes, he felt like Yoongi must really have something against this RM guy. The tension between them felt too real. Jaegyu couldn't believe it either. He's never been more impressed with Yoongi's performance. Junsuh only muttered for them to quiet down. Namjoon was raising the mic up to his lips, his expression darkening as Yoongi basked in his spotlight. He was going make Yoongi regret his words. The beat was switched to give something new for Namjoon to work with and he was ready.

"Don't talk about school with me! You'd be failing without me! Let me tutor you on how rapping is done." Namjoon narrowed his eyes on Yoongi. The redhead rolled his eyes, wanting the show to get on the road already. "Pretty perfect petty b*tch, boastin' 'bout some basic sh*t. Shh, shush, shut it. I ain't gotta hear it. Some dumb disgusting disappointment. Face facts filthy f*ck. I'm favorable, you're faulty, unabled. Fasten up, I'm fatal."

"Do you hear that?" Junsuh was in awe. You had to admit that Namjoon was could at freestyling. It was giving him some more approval, especially with the alliteration. You didn't expect him to come out performing like this. He was tired of Yoongi and was taking this chance to yell at him. Maybe not in the most polite way, but he didn't care. He was finally letting his aggression out. Then there stood Yoongi who was nodding along to Namjoon's words. He wanted the taller to come at him like this. Yoongi motioned for Namjoon to go at him harder, impressed with the boy who apparently had no dreams.

"Generous gamble, big mistake. Messy, mean, Min Yoongi mere mild mucky rapper. Ratty, reclusive. Real rabbit b*stard. Rare raps like mine, regal and refined, are hard to find. Unreachable, unthinkable. You're just a painful, peaked, preacher. I'll let you have it, unprecedented." Namjoon sized up Yoongi, staring down at him. "Now show some respect for your president."

Yellow lights finished with the two on stage. Finally, Yoongi was grinning back at Namjoon with actual joy. Despite getting talked down to ruthlessly, he preferred this Namjoon. One that he didn't even know existed. Seeing the way Namjoon handled himself on stage reminded Yoongi of himself in a way. At the same time, he was enjoying Namjoon's unique style. It was refreshing from most of the rappers down here. The MC came onto the stage, letting out a shocked breath. The crowd was hollering and behaving like wild animals. In the background, Namjoon was panting and staring at Yoongi with a weight off his shoulders. He said what he wanted to say.

"Kids these days are too good for no d*mn reason." The MC laughed. The three fanboys instantly agreed, completely mesmerized with the power the stage just had. It wasn't only one thing that made it so great. Both boys had great stage presence, they played with the flow naturally, and spit out lines as best as they could. It made you feel like you had no air left in your lungs. The MC then motioned his hand in Namjoon's direction. "RM! Or...Suga!" He waited to see which one got more noise. The volume felt almost similar to both. Eventually, the MC declared Namjoon as the winner of the round. Yoongi clapped lightly for his competitor and sighed. He still would have liked to have won the round. But at least he felt like he could agree with the crowd.

You began to leave the crowd. The first thing you had to do was talk to Namjoon and Yoongi. Jinyo noticed you running off and called after you. He was confused, but let you go. You were heading in the direction of the backroom anyway. Stepping inside, you saw Yoongi and Namjoon walking down the stairs together. They hadn't said a word to each other since leaving the stage. The both of them were still feeling tingles from performing together. Though it was a battle, Namjoon and Yoongi didn't leave the stage as enemies. Yoongi smiled to see you, jumping off the stairs to come to you meanwhile Namjoon froze at the bottom step.

Yoongi began to open his arms wide for you out of habit. Whenever his fanboys were around, you hugged him after each performance. It was to congratulate and also because you always felt proud of him after. You felt proud for someone else too though. Running past Yoongi, you jumped to give Namjoon a lung crushing hug. He almost stumbled back from the impact. He was so surprised and stared down at you with wide eyes. Yoongi was shocked, turning around to see you hugging someone else. It almost made him want to scowl. He wanted his hug too. Namjoon slowly wrapped his arms around you by the time the three fanboys made it to the backroom.

"(F/n), I—" Namjoon started as you looked up at him with gentle eyes.

"Get away from her!" Jinyo's voice shouted. Namjoon lifted his head up, flinching at the sudden raised voice. You turned to see the fanboys not looking so happy.

"She's taken, Pal." Jaegyu cracked his knuckles. "Do you really want to start problems?"

"What is going on?" Namjoon whispered to you.

"Guys, stop. (F/n) and I know him." Yoongi rolled his eyes. The fanboys immediately calmed down, but Jinyo wasn't too happy that you stayed hugging another guy. Namjoon didn't understand why they were so hostile though.

"Hi, RM." Junsuh smiled.

"Oh, hi hyung!" Namjoon waved with a light blush. He was embarrassed with all the attention, so you moved away from him to try and make it better. Junsuh was the only real fan he's gained here at Midnight Measure. For the most part, Namjoon always performed and left. He never stuck around which is possibly why Yoongi and you never bumped into him until now.

"Can I actually talk to you and Yoongi outside?" You asked. Namjoon hesitantly nodded as Yoongi put his hands in his pockets. He wanted to have that conversation too. There was going to be a lot to talk about. As the three of you started walking out, Jinyo grabbed your arm with a frown. "What is it?"

"You didn't call him 'oppa'." Jinyo pouted. Namjoon furrowed his brows and Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose. It was time for the truth to come out. At least the fanboys had to know the truth.

"Jinyo-ssi, Yoongi and I aren't really dating. We only said that so I wouldn't get hit on by other guys here." You patted his shoulder. He looked like you had stabbed him in the heart. "We're sorry for lying."

"I'll text you later, Hyung." Yoongi waved.

The second you guys left, Jinyo fell over into Junsuh's arms. His hope in love vanished while Jaegyu thought about it. He figured that made more sense. It explained the awkwardness with affection at times, but Jinyo didn't want to hear it. Junsuh sighed and comforted the glum boy with rough pats. Yoongi felt a little bad and so did you. It's not like the two of you could keep that lie going for the rest of your lives to him. Now that you guys know Namjoon comes here too, it was bound to come out. You're still not over the fact that Namjoon comes to Midnight Measure and raps though. It's so hard to believe. You would never picture it from him.

Yoongi must have felt the same way. The three of you went up the stone steps to sit in front of the railing. The same spot where you comforted Yoongi that one time. All of you stared at the empty narrow street in front of you and the backs of brick buildings. No one knew who would start first. Things were still awkward. Namjoon let out a heavy breath and rubbed his cold hands together. Meanwhile you played with your jacket or fidgeted with your fingers. Something to make noise so you wouldn't hear silence. It sounded like no one was breathing after Namjoon released that deep breath. Then Yoongi had only blinked at nothing and pursed his lips.

"...You like to rap?" Yoongi started.

"Oh, er...yeah, I do. I like to rap a lot." Namjoon cleared his throat. Him and Yoongi couldn't look at each other. They kept their eyes either straight or aimed down at their lap. They were sitting next to each other so that was improvement.

"For how long?"

"Early middle school," Namjoon answered.

"Sh*t, me too." Yoongi chuckled and Namjoon eventually joined in. Namjoon stopped keeping his best posture around the male. Yoongi was letting himself relax too, his shoulders becoming less tense. He couldn't believe it. Namjoon likes to rap. And he's pretty d*mn good at it. "Where did you...how did this all happen?"

"With Midnight Measure? Um...I saw a flyer for a big rap battle competition. It kept popping up in my mind, so I came. After that, I kept showing up whenever I had time and started practicing on my rapping. Plus, I was always kind of good at writing so..." Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck.

"You write your own stuff?" Yoongi's eyes widened. He was grinning with approval, his gummy smile showing. Namjoon was embarrassed but happy. His dimples showed as he finally looked back at the redhead.

"Yeah, I do. It's all in this green notebook...I prefer writing lyrics, but I do produce as well." Namjoon shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Me too! My set up is small, but it works!" Yoongi's voice almost got higher with his excitement. Despite being Yoongi's best friend, you don't think you've ever seen him like this. It was surprising and made you feel taken aback. Is this the same Min Yoongi that you know? Namjoon's eyes were sparkling too as they spoke. "All my equipment is cheap, but my DAW is all from hard work."

"I bet it is..." Namjoon was in awe. Soon his eyes flickered to your confused ones. Yoongi turned to look at you over his shoulder, laughing. "Digital Audio Workstation."

"Oh." You nodded, but it still made no sense.

"I used FL studio sometimes, but I like Cubase more," Yoongi stated and Namjoon clapped his hands.

"Cubase is where I do it all!" Namjoon bounced in his spot.

"Have you ever tried Logic Pro? Reason?" Yoongi tilted his head. Namjoon looked almost outraged at the question.

"Does it _look_ like I can afford Reason!?" Namjoon pointed to himself with a giant grin. He laughed, letting himself find humor in the question than being offended. Yoongi said it was worth a shot. The two wouldn't stop laughing and you didn't want to interrupt. You were happy sitting in the background, clueless to whatever they were talking about. "I do have a Maschine mk2 though for sample beats mainly."

"I have the same one! I got it as a gift though from my...uh, Mom's boyfriend." Yoongi swallowed hard. The energetic air began to falter once Yoongi hesitated. You were still listening in, but you weren't going to say anything. "I also got a bunch of my novation stuff because of him."

"Novation mininova? Launchpad?" Namjoon tilted his head. Yoongi nodded and Namjoon felt the need to admit his own things too. "Well, honestly my parents have boughten me a bunch of stuff too. They think it's just for fun and get it for me because they're not always around...you know, like a stabilizer and amps."

"...we have our own little studios." Yoongi smirked. "You have a name for yours, I bet."

"Then I bet you have one for yours too." Namjoon crossed his arms knowingly. They smiled at each other realizing that they had a lot more in common then they had thought. So much for Yoongi's final words to the tall male. It all made Yoongi want to wince now that he looked back on it. He no longer held anything against Namjoon after the battle and Namjoon appeared the same.

"Sorry for all the crap I said while yelling at you. It was dumb and I really misjudged you." Yoongi sighed.

"No, it's fine. Actually...I really needed to hear that." Namjoon ran a hand through his hair. "You were right and it made me want to fight more...I'd really like to be a producer. A rapper. Not really a businessman."

"Good. Your talent would be wasted if you became a businessman." Yoongi raised his hand up.

"Thanks." Namjoon happily high fived him. "You were really good too."

"But your freestyle man—what the hell? How'd you do that?" Yoongi watched the boy turn pink. "Don't get shy on me! I just got slaughtered by motherf*cking RM! Who's he?"

"I almost got my @ss handed to me by Suga!" Namjoon accused the male.

"So cute," You mumbled to yourself.

The two boys continued talking about their shared interest. Once they both found out their similarities, they practically became best friends before your eyes. You started feeling like the third wheel, but it was alright. You prefer this than them trying to cut each other's throats. Yoongi wanted to stay to see Namjoon go on to the other rounds. Yoongi and you joined the fanboys to watch this RM take down his competitors. Namjoon was doing so good as the night when on. He was so close to winning but lost it at the semi-final. The guy he battled was pretty popular according to Yoongi. Even if his material was sh*t, he'd still get a decent amount of noise to win over the 'newbie'.

The three of you ended up staying at Midnight Measure for a long time. By the time Yoongi and you made it back to your place there was only two hours before school started. This time the two of you could fall asleep in your bed. You knocked out the second your head hit the pillow. Yoongi fell asleep soundly right next to you. Waking up for school was an incredibly painful task. Not only did you have to convince yourself to get ready, you had to wake up Yoongi. He so badly wanted to sleep. The jerk even pulled you back on the bed, telling you that sleep was more important.

This is why he skips school sometimes. He's tired from Midnight Measure and he's the principal's...stepson? You're not quite sure if Yoongi would want you calling him that. Either way, he had a special connection with the principal. You're not going to let him abuse it. The principal clearly lets the boy do whatever he wants. Even if that means letting Yoongi step all over him. Not on your watch. You need your best friend at school with you. Grabbing Yoongi's ankles, you drag his body off your bed. There's nothing that wakes you up more than almost getting murdered by your best friend.

Yoongi was super grumpy the entire way to school. He had no school spirit and you couldn't exactly blame him. But you were just happy he was actually attending with you. The weekend is going to start after today anyway. It's important for him to show up too so he can see Namjoon. They spoke so naturally to one another at Midnight Measure. You wanted to make sure they could still do the same at school. Yoongi sighed as he saw the principal waiting by the front gates. Principal Yoo acted as if he was greeting all the students coming in, but you could see the truth in his actions. He wanted to see if Yoongi would come to school after running away.

The redhead next to you rolled his eyes. To your surprise though, he didn't try hiding behind you or finding a way to sneak in. He kept walking confidently out in the open. Principal Yoo soon spotted Yoongi walking in with you. He turned to face you guys, unable to speak. The principal was relieved though. The long breath he had been holding was released the second he spotted his wife's son. They must have been worried all night. Yoongi had turned off his phone, wanting to ignore all notifications from them. Yoongi held his hands up, stating his innocence to the older man.

"Happy? Good." Yoongi started quickening up his pace. You followed him hurriedly, not really understanding his cold attitude towards the principal. You respected Yoongi enough to stay out of it though.

Yoongi and you made your way over to Mr. Kim's class. When you guys arrived, Mr. Kim already had the classroom open for students to come in. The class was half full while some were still arriving. Hoseok was sitting in the back, waiting for you and Yoongi to show up. He stood up and gave the two of you a gentle smile. It was the same type of smile you would use to comfort someone. That's when you remembered that Hoseok thought Yoongi and Namjoon were still enemies. He didn't know about their little encounter at Midnight Measure.

Hoseok opened his mouth to speak to Yoongi but was cut off. Namjoon entered the room and immediately went straight towards Yoongi. You giggled to yourself as you took a seat. This was coming as a major shock to the popular boy. The last time he saw Namjoon and Yoongi in the same room, they were behaving like wild animals. Now Namjoon was tapping Yoongi's shoulder like an excited child. Yoongi turned around with a smile and Hoseok couldn't believe his eyes. He thought he was truly seeing things. He had lost faith in them ever being friends because of yesterday.

"Can I show you my lyrics?" Namjoon asked.

"Oh, hell yeah. I want to see what you got." Yoongi patted his desk. The two sat close next to each other, ignoring Hoseok who had his mouth wide open. Namjoon opened his green notebook, showing a few that he was proud of. "D*mn, okay then, Kim Namjoon. I see you."

"You've barely read it." Namjoon teased but was happy. His skin was burning from the compliment and from the fact that he was showing this notebook to someone other than Taehyung.

"What's going on here?" Hoseok turned to you. Seeing as you weren't surprised, he knew you were holding out on him. He quickly pouted and gave you the biggest puppy eyes he could muster. "Tell me! Please? Don't keep secrets."

"It's a long story." You patted his head. "They'll explain once we go do our tutoring."

"I have to wait that long!?" Hoseok whined. "Yoongi just stole my best friend like it was nothing! What the hell?"

"You're still my best friend." Namjoon sighed but kept his attention on his notebook and Yoongi.

"For now." Yoongi chuckled.

"This is messed up!" Hoseok looked at you with a frown. "Fine. (F/n) is my new best friend."

"Don't even think about it." Yoongi scoffed.

"You're all my best friends. How's that?" You smiled. Namjoon and Yoongi stopped looking at the notebook to stare at you with a dull expression. Even Hoseok was giving you the same face. What's wrong with that you said? You genuinely wanted to know what was so awful about it. Hoseok and Yoongi looked at Namjoon who already knew what to say.

"Sounds like bullsh*t." Ouch. Fine then.

The boys were apparently not a fan of your statement that was supposed to be sweet. Instead they took it as a participation trophy. You don't know what their problem is, but you weren't too hurt over it. The boys all started laughing after Namjoon said that. Whatever, you're just ready for Namjoon and Yoongi to explain what happened to Hoseok in full detail. The boys were ready to come clean to the oblivious sunshine. They figured there was no harm in telling him about Midnight Measure. About all the rapping and their dreams. Hoseok is the one always talking about his street dancing and wanting you guys to see his underground dancing. It was beginning to make you curious.

Hoseok on the other hand was dying to know what got the delinquent and the class president to change their minds about each other. They were like polar opposites. Hoseok could have sworn they were, but now they were acting as if they were twins. It was the strangest thing to him. He had to hold back on asking a lot of questions during the walk over to Namjoon's house. Namjoon already had a feeling that you guys wouldn't be learning anything again today. Explaining what happened was going to take some time. If Namjoon and Yoongi stated that they made up after a rap battle, there's already a lot of questions to ask.

The four of you went into the living room instead of the kitchen. Bags were tossed aside onto the floor without a care. Mr. Kim did a good job teaching all of you today anyway. You jumped onto the couch as others followed suit. This place was almost feeling like a second home to you. Hoseok and Yoongi were feeling the same. It was also easier to get comfortable in this house with no adults around. It was always you and your friends along with the children. Namjoon got a text saying they would be late. Apparently Jungkook was now crashing ballet lessons with Taehyung too now.

"He's teaching him bad habits." Namjoon shook his head.

"I'll speak to my dongsaeng." Yoongi shrugged.

"I love how we all have little brothers now." Hoseok grinned before looking at you. "Almost all of us."

"How dare you? I'm their noona." You smirked. They all nodded, agreeing that all of you truly did have younger brothers. They were super cute. Before things could get off topic, Namjoon made sure to cut straight to the point. Hoseok has been waiting all day to hear the truth. After the fight he had with Yoongi, no one thought they would be ever to stand in the same room again. How could they go from that to being all chummy with each other the next second? Namjoon felt the best way he could explain it was by taking out the green notebook. He threw it on the coffee table, letting it slide closer to the popular boy.

"What's this?" Hoseok grabbed it. He slowly examined it before opening it. "I've always seen you writing in it..." His eyes scanned down the papers. As he read the writing, his lips moved along with each lyrics word for word. At one point, Hoseok smiled and was getting excited. He continued looking through and there was a gamut of expressions that he displayed. Hoseok lifted his head up to stare at Namjoon in awe. "You wrote all these? They're amazing!"

"That's a strong word." Namjoon rubbed his neck.

"Yah! Take it. No more holding back, got it?" Yoongi smacked the president's shoulder. Namjoon flinched at the sudden attack. Though he didn't expect it, he listened to Yoongi's words and nodded. He promised himself to chase after his dreams no matter what after the fight. Hoseok gave him encouragement.

"Thanks, Hoseokie...I'll remember that when I need it." Namjoon smiled. Hoseok almost didn't know what to say. Yoongi helped give Namjoon confidence? He was stunned. He chuckled and watched the two actually sit comfortably next to each other. They weren't tense or glaring. Hoseok felt truly proud yet...he was still confused.

"So, how do your songs tie in with this?" Hoseok pointed between the two of them. The two chuckled again at Hoseok's pure bewilderment. That was you last night. Or in the early morning hours.

"I rap and so does Yoongi. Turns out we've been going to the same underground rap location this whole time." Namjoon shrugged. Yoongi nodded his head as he yawned, sleep deprived as proof. "We accidentally got into a rap battle together. After I won, we talked outside and made up."

"You rap? What?" Hoseok's eyes widened. "I mean, I can see Yoongi doing it. You? That's so cool! A-And you guys are into underground rap? But wait, hold up! Namjoon won!?"

"Did you really have to mention that?" Yoongi scowled.

"It's important to the story." Namjoon smirked. The redhead rolled his eyes at the comment. He jokingly hit Namjoon and it wasn't misunderstood. You felt so happy with their progress.

Hoseok was right in the end after all. Music was going to be the key to bring them together. Not only that, but they had to arrive to that point naturally. Hoseok looked proud of them as well. With a heart shaped grin, Hoseok returned his focus onto the green notebook that you haven't even seen yourself. Getting up from your seat, you sat on the armchair to take a look. The two of you read what Namjoon poured his heart and soul into. There were a lot of things crossed out, erased, and a couple torn pages. It appeared like the book had taken a beating. It's been through a lot to capture the life story of Namjoon. Most of his lyrics were all personal, ranging from hope to despair.

Namjoon began watching your reaction. He felt insecure now that more eyes were viewing his work. Though he gave permission for it to be seen, it was still personal to him. Yoongi gave him a gentle pat as Hoseok and you stumbled on an extremely aggressive rap. Seeing the lyrics almost reminded you of Yoongi's beliefs. Sometimes it really was hard to believe that the awkward, tall class president was writing these types of songs. He really wasn't what people thought he was on the outside. Hoseok read the lyrics multiple times before deciding he would attempt to do the song himself. Hoseok jumped up onto his feet with the notebook in hand. Namjoon and Yoongi immediately furrowed their brows.

"_I hate self-help books more than anything in the world! Bullsh*t telling us to do this or that, they have no backbone and believe other's words! So that bullsh*t is a best seller? What do those guys know about you? Your dreams, your hobbies, can they understand?_" Hoseok made his best attempt to rap. Namjoon's face burned bright pink once he realized which song Hoseok was doing. He stood up, running across the room to try and rip the book out of the boy's hand. Hoseok was persistent though. He jumped from couch to couch, running on the carpet floor, and using the coffee table as a shield. All that as he rapped at the same time. "_If you look less at wits, there are a lot of things that change_. _You were born as a hero, why are you trying to become a slave?_ _'Because it hurts, it's youth'._ _That kind of definition is the biggest problem,_ _in life a genre is a trap, just like music._"

"Jung Hoseok, you need to stop—!!" Namjoon jumped at him, only to fail. Hoseok took a step to the side as Namjoon fell on the floor. Yoongi was watching Hoseok with intrigued eyes. What could he possibly be thinking? Yoongi was lightly bobbing his head as Hoseok continued.

"B_ecause you become an idiot as soon as you're tied down there_! _F*ck that. You the only one ever_. _Even if you're not perfect you're limited edition, leggo!_ _Anyway someone wants you,_ _so just do you!_" Hoseok cheered. "_Do you, do yo—!"_

Namjoon crashed into Hoseok's body. The two fell on the ground together. If there was one thing Namjoon was confident in, it was his ability to cause damage with his clumsiness. Hoseok grunted in pain from the second his body made contact with the floor. With his face squished against the carpet, Hoseok whined for the bigger male to get off of him. Namjoon was barely hurt. He sighed in relief and plucked the notebook away from Hoseok's grip. The popular boy went just a little bit overboard with trying to perform one of his songs. Namjoon quickly put it away, coughing to get rid of the current mood. You kept one brow raised up while Yoongi clapped.

"I could cook a meal with that. That sh*t was fire!" Yoongi laughed. "You really have that much anger in you, Namjoon?"

"Well..." Namjoon shrugged.

"And Hoseok! Hoseok, buddy...have you ever rapped before?" Yoongi questioned. Hoseok slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. His frustrated pout left at the sudden question. He was surprised and Namjoon was too. You still didn't know what exactly Yoongi had in plan with Hoseok.

"Uh, no...I've only ever danced. I was just doing that for fun." Hoseok bit his lip. He felt slightly embarrassed due to the fact that there were two rappers in the room. Famous or not, they had way more experience than him.

"Interesting." Yoongi smirked.

"You're being creepy." Namjoon pointed out.

"Glad it's not just me." You leaned back in your seat. Yoongi rolled his eyes but didn't bother elaborating on his thoughts. He kept it to himself without context. Hoseok rubbed his face as he stood up. The carpet flooring can only protect him so much. Namjoon muttered an apology, but he wasn't too sorry. Hoseok sighed but knew Namjoon's actions were out of desperateness. The popular boy let his body fall onto an open space on the couch.

Since Hoseok found out about the two being underground rappers, Hoseok instantly started asking if he could hear them rap a little something. Yoongi and Namjoon weren't so sure if they wanted to do that. The mood and setting felt a bit off putting. That's when you suggested he should come to Midnight Measure if he wants to see them truly perform. Namjoon and Yoongi tried telling the boy not to come, but it was too late. Hoseok wanted to see these boys turn into beasts on stage. He grew especially excited when he thought about his own talent and passion in life.

"I can't wait to see you guys there!" Hoseok bounced in his seat.

"You really don't have to." Namjoon shook his head.

"Yeah, it's past midnight. You're going to lose a lot of sleep—" Yoongi scratched his head.

"Hey! What happened to having confidence towards your passion?" You called out. Yoongi flinched, hating that you were using his own words against him. "Let new people see what you guys got."

"Hell yeah! I bet it's going to be great." Hoseok assured them. His eyes began glowing as he stood up. "And you guys should come see me dance! I'm into underground dancing and occasionally go with a crew. For the most part, I do my own thing and compete for fun. It's really great! You guys should seriously come!" Hoseok clasped his hands together. He pleaded, desperately wanting them to agree for once.

"I don't know, Hoseok. Dance isn't really my thing." Namjoon shrugged.

"But you love hip hop. This is just another side of it." Hoseok whined. "Come with me tomorrow!"

"Even if I could, I'm busy with family. I bet I'm grounded for a little while." Yoongi groaned. Hoseok's lips drooped down in disappointment. He always begged so much for them to just see him dance.

"I'll go, Hoseok." You smiled. "If you don't mind." The second you said that, Hoseok lit up like a Christmas tree. He couldn't believe his ears. He may not be getting Yoongi or Namjoon, but you instead. And you'd like to argue that you were the better deal. Hoseok quickly hugged you out of gratitude. He raised you up in the air, squeezing you tightly. You giggled while Yoongi and Namjoon were slowly regretting the choice of declining his offer. Hoseok eventually set you down to look at Yoongi.

"What are you grounded for?" Hoseok laughed.

"Running away. I had a crashed at (F/n)'s place." Yoongi pursed his lips. Namjoon and Hoseok had to replay what he said in their heads. He said that so casually. "I also said some rude sh*t I guess to my mom's boyfriend."

"Aren't they married?" You asked.

"Oh yeah, that happened." Yoongi stared at the ceiling.

"And she's married to Principle Yoo?" You bit your lip.

"Yeah...wait." Yoongi quickly sat up straight in horror. He let that slip, seeing the shocked reactions from Namjoon and Hoseok. "Cha (F/n)!"

"Before you kill her!" Namjoon shoved him back in his seat. Yoongi frowned with the amount of force used on him. "...if that's true...that makes sense."

"I was just gonna say!" Hoseok threw his hands up in the air. "I don't really care. I mean, holy sh*t! I didn't expect that but...I got my questions answered." He simply shrugged.

"Exactly! We're on the same page!" Namjoon pointed to the bubbly male.

"Eeey!" Hoseok cheered, pointing in return to the president.

"Whatever." Yoongi gave up. He saw you mouth 'sorry' and gave you a tired stare. He only flipped you off, but you took that.

Yoongi slowly smiled to himself as he sank in his seat. Thankful that he wasn't hiding secrets anymore. Though it was a habit of his to keep secrets, he always felt happy when he didn't have them. The four of you messed around for the entire time you guys should have been studying. There were no fights between any of you. It actually felt like all of you shared the same brain cell. There was a lot of laughing and teasing. Tutoring sessions were quickly turning into excuses to just hang out with each other at this rate. It's a good thing you have a B+ in math right now then. A few days off tutoring won't hurt. Just as the chaos was starting to die down, a certain puppy slammed the front door open and barked as loud as he could.

"I'M HOME!"

"They're not in the kitchen!" A bunny gasped.

"Oh no!" A baby chick sounded like he was going to cry. Hoseok clutched his chest, in pain for his little brother. Namjoon pressed his finger up against his lips. The four of you were being quiet for some reason. Yoongi badly wanted to laugh as he heard the children speaking. You felt yourself melting to hear them get so worried. You just wanted to squish their cheeks and give them the biggest hugs.

"Hyung!" The puppy shouted on repeat before it turned into a soft whine. You glanced at Namjoon, seeing him try not to frown. "Where are you? Hyung!"

"Is he in his room?" The bunny asked.

"Did they go out? Did the others leave?" The baby chick's voice was hurt.

"N-No, hyung would have told me if he left. I know he would have!" The puppy defended his older brother. Namjoon was laying low on the couch, nodding to his brother's words.

"I can't take this. I feel so bad," You whispered.

"Me too!" Hoseok cried out not so quietly. He then turned over to Namjoon with a grin. "Oops." That sneaky boy. The three children gasped to hear Hoseok's voice. They rushed into the living room, all of them squealing to see the four of you here. No one was missing. Jungkook jumped onto Yoongi and Taehyung crashed into Namjoon, giving him a tight hug. Jimin ran to Hoseok in his ballet clothes, saying that he didn't get enough time to change out. Taehyung apparently rushed him.

"Is that so?" Namjoon looked down at his brother.

"He did it for me!" Jungkook raised his hand. "If we took any longer, samchon would have picked me up at the ballet studio. I wanted to see Hyung-nim before I went home."

"Look at that. He did it for his friend." Hoseok nudged Namjoon's ribs.

"I wasn't saying it because I was mad. I just wanted you to know," Jimin said as Taehyung saw the green notebook lying out in the open. He pointed it out to his brother, worried that others might have seen it.

"Hyung, your book," Taehyung whispered.

"I know. I showed it to them." Namjoon moved some hair away from his little brother's eyes. Taehyung covered his mouth with his hands.

"Really!?" His voice cracked. Jimin furrowed his brows while Jungkook burst out laughing. Taehyung quickly glared at the maknae, not appreciating the embarrassment.

"You guys have gotten close," You stated.

"Yeah, you're already making fun of them. Nice job." Yoongi fist bumped Jungkook. The brunette grinned proudly, looking more like a bunny than ever. Jimin nodded happily as he went to go hug you. He mumbled that you looked lonely and you wanted to cry at the his thoughtful behavior. You held Jimin tightly, refusing to let him go back to Hoseok.

"My little brother." You snuggled the baby chick.

"No, mine!" Hoseok pointed to himself. Jungkook was glad he had Yoongi as his main hyung. The bunny stayed with the tiger, happily wishing that he could spend some more time here. Taehyung sighed as he released his brother from his hug to sit next to him instead.

"I'm happy you found others you could show it to." Taehyung kicked his legs back and forth. Namjoon's face softened to hear that. He wrapped his arm around the younger's shoulders.

"Me too, Tae. Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Yes, I wrote the rap the Yoongi and Namjoon did. It took me over an hour and I don't normally write lyrics or anything of that nature. You're just gonna have to tolerate their rap battle.)


	24. Dancing Side of Life

Ch.24

"It's so cold!" Hoseok shivered. He wore a heavy black jacket, gloves, and even a beanie. He had the most clothing compared to everyone else. Yoongi rolled his eyes since he was used to the cold. Namjoon had no problem with it and you learned to adjust to it. The four of you were standing outside of Midnight Measure together. Not once did you believe that this would ever happen.

The four of you ended up sleeping over at Namjoon's house. The children were excited by that and Jungkook immediately called Mr. Kim for permission to sleepover. Jimin called his own parents to do the same. It ended up feeling like a huge party. The younger boys eventually tuckered themselves out. The original plan was for all of you to sleep yourselves. That clearly didn't end up happening. Namjoon saw the clock reach midnight and Yoongi was up. They couldn't sleep out of pure habit. The worst part was that you were getting used to that too. You sighed as the boys decided to go to Midnight Measure. They got ready while you quietly woke up Hoseok.

Hoseok was completely out of it. He thought he was dreaming when he woke up. You had to deal with a sleepy Hoseok but throwing water in his face got him up. He didn't really like that though. He's fine. Namjoon let him borrow some of the warm layers he currently has on. Anyway, the four of you quietly snuck out the house to come to Midnight Measure. None of you wanted to wake up the children and have them accidentally get involved. Namjoon admitted that Taehyung only knew about him writing and producing music. Taehyung was completely oblivious to his older brother sneaking out in the middle of the night. Locking the door, Namjoon promised you guys would be back before four in the morning. Enough to get some sleep and before any of them wake up.

Now the four of you were finally at Midnight Measure. Yoongi was ready to enter already, but Namjoon wanted to prepare Hoseok for what he was about to witness. It made the golden boy paranoid that he was entering something illegal. Definitely not that. You laughed, seeing as Hoseok had trouble staying still in the cold air. It was also lightly snowing so you couldn't blame him. You'd much rather be inside as well. Hoseok was doing his best to listen to Namjoon, but he kept whining about the cold. His interruptions were only making things longer. It was driving Yoongi crazy at this point.

"He needs no introduction. Just let everything hit him like a bus!" Yoongi started dragging the dancer down the steps.

"I just wanted to give him a heads up!" Namjoon quickly followed.

"Is it warm inside?" Hoseok's tone became panicked.

"Very!" You chimed.

Hoseok whimpered as he was shoved in the underground building. It was filled with a lot of intimidating faces. They were a lot less friendly than the people he met dancing in the streets. He scrunched his head into his coat like a turtle. Maybe he should have taken Namjoon's introduction a lot more seriously. You followed Hoseok, knowing exactly what he must have been feeling. You were put through the same thing when you first came with Yoongi. This place is mainly terrifying when you're left alone. You're sure Hoseok would handle being alone here a lot better than you. Maybe.

Yoongi continued to shove Hoseok towards a counter. Namjoon and you caught up, feeling a little bad towards the scared boy. Hoseok caught himself with his hands so he wouldn't bump into the counter. He whined as he was shoved onto a stool by Namjoon. He couldn't understand why he was getting thrown around like this. You took the stool next to him in hopes of giving him some comfort. Unlike Namjoon and Yoongi, you weren't a rapper. Hoseok could actually see himself in your shoes. He would eventually get used to a place like this.

"N-Now what?" Hoseok kept to himself on his stool. It surprised you to see him like this. He was usually so outgoing and forward. He was no longer in his comfort zone, instantly trying to shrink himself at his new surroundings. It was a new experience.

"Namjoon and I are going to sign up to rap. It's open mic tonight." Yoongi smiled.

"We should get ready." Namjoon pointed towards the back room. The two rappers were grinning at each other. Excitement and thrill were already bubbling out of them. Hoseok raised a brow, not completely used to their friendly behavior.

"This is weird," Hoseok said.

"You get used to it." You shrugged. Hoseok only kept a small frown on his face. Whenever Hoseok frowned, it was always more of a pout. The corners of his lips always went down like an upside down 'v'. He reminded you almost of a fox. As you giggled at Hoseok, the boy looked around with paranoia. The usual guys down here could already smell newbie off him. He made it so obvious. It only made Hoseok lean towards you more, pinching the sleeve of your jacket. "Does that even do anything?"

"It's for comfort." Hoseok huffed. He pinched the fabric tighter as someone walked by. They were just trying to squeeze through with a crowd already forming on the main floor. It was a personal attack according to Hoseok. The dude only grazed past Hoseok's knee without apologizing. Hoseok turned to face you, alarmed that he had been threatened. "(F/n)—"

"You are more worried than I was." You scoffed. Looking back to when Yoongi first brought you, sure, you were paranoid. But you instantly calmed down once meeting the fanboys.

"And you don't think I should be worried?" Hoseok furrowed his brows.

"Honestly, no. Besides, the main reason I'm so calm is because I mainly have three bodyguards protecting me all the time." You shrugged. Hoseok was surprised to hear that. You got your own special protection? He instantly looked around to try and spot them. The fanboys were surprisingly not around just yet. They had to be around here somewhere.

"You have three? Mind sharing?" Hoseok chuckled. You couldn't help, but grin and ruffle his hair. Hoseok seemed to enjoy being pet like this.

With the amount of attention you were giving to him, some people were looking at you weirdly. You're Yoongi's girlfriend down here. Retracting your hand, you realized that you almost forgot. Hoseok sighed in disappointment when you took your hand away. You were about to explain until there was a loud cough. The two of you turned your heads to see a frowning Jinyo with Jaegyu and Junsuh behind him. Hoseok automatically shivered at their intimidating appearances. Junsuh's towering height, Jaegyu's tattoos and piercings, and Jinyo's murderous glare. Junsuh and Jaegyu were eyeing Hoseok, but not to the same extent as Jinyo was. He still wasn't over the fact that Yoongi and you weren't truly dating. Everything was lie.

"Who's this?" Jinyo stepped closer to inspect the boy. Hoseok sunk his head lower in his coat, letting the pulled-up collar hide him a bit. You sighed to see Hoseok already trembling and closing his eyes.

"This is a friend of mine. As well as Namjoon and Yoongi's so I suggest not killing him please." You poked Jinyo away to give Hoseok some space.

"A friend?" Jinyo lowered his aggression. He looked over Hoseok again and clicked his tongue. "I'm Jinyo."

"Jung Hoseok!" Hoseok bowed instantly. Jinyo chuckled in amusement. He quickly softened up, playfully hitting Hoseok on the back. The teenager coughed as if all the air had left his lungs from that one hit.

"Just call me Hyung! Any friend of Suga is a friend of mine!" Jinyo grinned. Hoseok smiled weakly before mouthing to you on who Suga was. You quietly told him it was Yoongi as Junsuh and Jaegyu came closer. Hoseok didn't stop being on edge. He wasn't so sure he could easily get used to them. He gave them all awkward smiles until his eyes landed on Jaegyu. Hoseok's posture straightened as he tilted head. The boy leaned in closely to stare at Jaegyu, clearly making the male uncomfortable.

"Uh, (F/n), control your friend." Jaegyu frowned.

"You look really familiar actually..." Hoseok tapped his chin. At first, you didn't think anything of it until you remembered that Jaegyu was really good at bone breaking. He used to be a street dancer! You gasped and excitedly started tapping at Hoseok's shoulder. "Ow! What?"

"Jaegyu used to be a street dancer! Is that how you know him?" You asked. Hoseok furrowed his brows before taking another look at Jaegyu. The tattooed male was surprised someone down here would recognize him from that. Jinyo lightly gasped, mumbling to Junsuh in excitement. Have they found a fan of Jaegyu?

"No way...I-I really do remember you! Back in elementary school, I saw you all the time! Your bone breaking was insane!" Hoseok jumped off his stool. He grabbed Jaegyu's hands out of pure joy from meeting someone he admired. "Dude! I could never do what you do, but you're the main reason I gave b-boying a shot!"

"M-Me?" Jaegyu pointed to himself.

"Yeah! And just when I started getting decent and performing, you disappear!" Hoseok pouted. "But I see you've been hanging here ever since."

"...interesting. Well, this kid knows how to appreciate talent!" Jaegyu wrapped his arm around Hoseok. The boy wouldn't stop grinning, ecstatic from being so close to his idol. Junsuh quietly mumbled to Jinyo that Jaegyu's ego will go through the roof now. Finding a fan of his was a mistake. Jinyo shrugged, figuring it might be good for him. You only shook your head as Jaegyu pulled Hoseok closer to the crowd. "You should show me what you got. Oh, and have you ever seen your friends perform?"

The MC was getting on stage already. He was listing off the people who were currently signed up to perform. In the list were Suga and RM right next to each other. You were already excited to see them show Hoseok what they had in them. It was truly something else. Jinyo stuck his hand out towards you, nudging his head towards the crowd. You took it as well as Junsuh's who had silently given you the option of taking his too. There, Hoseok. You shared one of your bodyguards! The best one at fighting too. Not that Hoseok needed a bodyguard to fight for him in the first place. Especially now that Hoseok was growing comfortable at Midnight Measure.

He wouldn't stop talking to Jaegyu. It's like he forgot you were there too. Luckily, Jaegyu is a huge fan of Yoongi. He got the golden boy to focus on Suga. Hoseok expected to laugh when he saw Yoongi come out, but he didn't. He didn't see Yoongi as trying too hard to act cool. Instead Hoseok saw Suga, the intense rapper who had three passionate fanboys right behind him. Hoseok's jaw dropped in surprise with the blue lights shining over the pale rapper. Suga stared at the crowd with cold and fearless eyes. It even took your own breath away.

"_I pulled all-nighters at practice rooms instead of school, dancing, and singing. While you guys partied, I gave up sleep for my dreams. I spent all night holding a pen. Closing my eyes only after the morning sun rises. My limit was broken in the double standards and many oppositions!"_ Suga made you proud. Everything he said was true and you were there to witness some of his hard work. You would occasionally catch him writing lyrics at the corners of his textbook pages. There were so many loose papers in his backpack, a majority scribbled with lyrics that just came to him. His music was literally all he would think about at times. Nothing would stop him from aiming towards his dream.

Hoseok looked at you in awe. This was the same Min Yoongi the two of you knew? He knew Yoongi could be cool, but this was something else. Suga soon finished his piece and left the stage. The MC then introduced RM and Hoseok was beyond excited. He had to hear this! Hoseok was bouncing, struggling to control himself now that he was understanding the aura Midnight Measure held. It may be past midnight and everyone is sleep deprived from coming here often yet these performances make you feel alive. They give you energy, even just for another hour so you could witness more talent.

"_The envy of the aspiring rappers my age__. You guys only see what you want to see anyway. You foolish and young'ins with short educations like capri pants. When you rap about love and affection. I rap about big things."_ RM smoothly walked across the stage. Hoseok couldn't believe that was his class president. "_Those smack-cracker dolls who are filled__ with inferiority complexes. Talk smack about my sunglasses, my hairstyle, my name. It's sad comedy of losers in reality. My rap smothers you. Making you suffocate."_

"Oh sh*t!" Hoseok was jumping on his feet. He giggled with a rush of adrenaline as he turned to face you again. You nodded, confirming that RM was indeed the same Kim Namjoon who tutored you guys. Junsuh was smiling softly behind you, admiring a new favorite of his.

As soon as the tall rapper finished, you tapped Hoseok's shoulder. He didn't want to be pulled away from this new environment. He was already so engrossed with what got to witness. With a whine, Hoseok followed you and the three fanboys over to the backroom. He didn't understand why until he saw Namjoon and Yoongi leaving backstage together. The ball of sunshine charged at the two with unmatched energy. Jinyo didn't even get a chance to step towards Yoongi. The usual after performance hug Jinyo gave to Yoongi was stolen. Jinyo swallowed hard, trying not to be upset. Jaegyu patted Jinyo's shoulder and whispered to let Hoseok hug his friends. It was his first time seeing this side of them after all.

Jinyo's bottom lip quivered, but he nodded. He'll get to hug Yoongi first next time. Though Hoseok enjoyed tonight, you doubt he would come again. Maybe on the occasion at most. Hoseok tightly squeezed both Namjoon and Yoongi, shouting about everything that he's experienced so far. Yoongi wanted to pull away. He already wasn't a fan of affection and this was too much. Namjoon on the other hand looked like a dead fish in the hug. Their faces were turning pale from the lack of oxygen. It was really starting to worry you the longer it continued yet Hoseok was completely oblivious from his rush of adrenaline.

"I seriously thought I was gonna die here! Then I meet an old sunbae of mine from street dancing! It was so cool! And then I see you guys come out and perform, like holy—what!? I couldn't believe it! You guys were so cool! You're so small, Yoongi, but you're so powerful on stage! And Namjoon, man! You really know how to take people's breath away!" Hoseok grinned.

"Uh, you're taking their breath away." You warned him. Hoseok's brows knitted together at your statement until he saw his two friends struggling. He released them, mumbling an apology. Namjoon was fine, but Yoongi immediately gripped Hoseok's shirt.

"I will kill you if you ever do that again." Yoongi hissed.

"I was just so impressed!" Hoseok defended himself.

"Let him off the hook this time." Namjoon removed Yoongi's hand. The redhead sighed while Hoseok's eyes widened.

"This time!?"

While Hoseok and Namjoon started bickering, you gave Yoongi a silent thumbs up. He smiled at you, mouthing 'thank you'. He chuckled and expected to get a hug from you. Normally, you would except for the fact that Jinyo would probably be heartbroken if he got the third hug. You motioned your thumb discreetly towards the number one fanboy. Yoongi turned his head to see Jinyo forcing Junsuh to give him a back hug. The silent male stared down at Jinyo, annoyed with what he was being forced to do. Jaegyu mainly stayed quiet and uninvolved because if it weren't Junsuh then it would be him being forced to do the hug.

"Why?" Junsuh tried pulling his arms away.

"Screw you. I don't want your hugs anyway!" Jinyo ran over to hug Yoongi. "I was trying to make you feel bad, but I only ended up feeling worse!"

"Hyung. You're something else. You know that?" Yoongi chuckled, patting the fanboy's back. Jinyo chuckled as he knew he could be a bit much. Jaegyu and Junsuh were very familiar to all the bullsh*t they had to put up with. Slowly, Jinyo pulled away to reach his hand out to you. It didn't click in your head at first on what he wanted to do. So you stared blankly at his hand and pointed to yourself.

"Yes, you! Get over here and hug your boyfriend!" Jinyo stubbornly moved you towards Yoongi. The two of you crashed in together, but it was fine. In the background, Hoseok stopped talking to Namjoon completely. He turned his head towards you and Yoongi with a hurt and confused expression. He almost didn't understand why it hurt him so much to hear that.

"W-What?" Hoseok almost lost his balance.

"I know...but they're not actually dating." Namjoon put his hand on Hoseok's shoulder. The golden boy earned his glow again, extremely worried for a second.

"Long story." Yoongi sighed, sending a glare to Jinyo.

"I'll tell you it on the ride back." You gave Hoseok a tight smile.

It seems like Jinyo was having a harder time accepting the truth than you thought. Yoongi had to pull him to the side to give him the talk. It sounded like a parent explaining why they had to get a divorce. It was a good thing Junsuh and Jaegyu were handling it better. They were disappointed Yoongi didn't actually have a special someone but understood why you guys were pretending. Once Jinyo was lectured, the four of you finally had to go back to Namjoon's place. Though Jinyo was pouty, he was accepting it slowly.

Hoseok had a lot of questions. That's where you informed him on everything during the entire ride back. All of you used the bus and the bus driver was very clearly staring at you guys suspiciously. Why were four teenagers up at three in the morning in the middle of town? Most of the places around here were clubs anyway. You guys tried not to attract to much attention. When you guys got off, you were relieved to head back to a warm home. The two rappers could finally sleep while Hoseok had already been falling asleep on your shoulder in the bus. It would have been cute had he not drooled on you. Yoongi and Namjoon purposely kept their laughter quiet so they wouldn't wake the popular boy. Little @ssholes.

Namjoon opened his front door quietly. He motioned for you guys to carefully go inside. Since the tutor session had turned into a huge sleepover party, everyone was sleeping in the living room. The three preteens were sleeping soundly. The baby chick was sleeping in a fetus position. Hoseok tiptoed over him and carefully rolled into his sleeping spot. The bunny was sleeping in an odd position. Yoongi stared at him, confused how the bunny found crossing his legs comfortable. Yoongi only shrugged and lied on his spot on the couch. You made it to the other couch as Namjoon carefully tiptoed around his little brother. The puppy was cuddling his pillow tightly, shoving his face into it.

"Hyung?" Taehyung mumbled. Namjoon froze as well as the rest of you. Were the four of you caught? "Hyung...I can fly, hehe." He softly giggled. Namjoon wanted to sigh in relief. Taehyung was only talking in his sleep. The elder brother laid in his spot next to Taehyung and the rest of you could relax too.

*~*

The sleepover was really fun. Yoongi had to leave first because of his Mom. She didn't even want him sleeping over, but Mr. Yoo allowed it. Jungkook said goodbye and was picked up instantly after by Mr. Kim. Hoseok was then third to leave and he reminded you about the promise you made. You'll be getting to see his own side of life. The underground world of dancing which already had you interested. Whenever you would see idols dance on TV, you had trouble looking away. You're sure Hoseok will be able to amaze just as much and maybe even more. Then you were the fourth to leave the Kim household.

Jimin was still sticking around a little longer. Taehyung was relieved to hear that. He was getting gloomy seeing everyone leaving after all the fun they had. Namjoon had to admit he had a lot of fun too. More fun that none of the children even knew about. You parted ways and took a bus back to your home. Once you made it home, you called your parents that you just got home from the sleepover. All your parents knew was that you were staying over at a girl's house named Namjoo and that's it. Oh, Yoonji was there too. So far you haven't figured out a name for Hoseok. It was a work in progress. Maybe Hosook?

In the middle of the call with your Mom, you could hear her sad voice. You stopped everything you were doing to sit down. She was glad that you had fun with your friends. She really didn't mean to interrupt anything or make you sad. It's been a while since you've seen your parents so of course you wanted to know what they were up to. They're taking care of your grandpa. He's Mom's last living parent so you knew this was hard on her. To be honest, it was hard on you too. Hearing that your grandpa wasn't doing so well. It also hurt that your Mom had to go through this, but at least she had Dad with her.

"Things aren't looking so well if I'm being honest, Sweetie." Mom took in a shaky breath. You could hear Dad's faint voice in the background, trying to console her. "We're going to stay longer than we expected. Are you doing okay over there? Do you need your Appa?"

"I think you need Appa with you, Eomma." You felt your throat become tight. Mom's usually a tough person so it was really hard for you to even hear her in pain. "Take care of Halabeoji. You don't need to worry about me. I'm taking care of myself just fine."

"That's good to hear...we'll send more money. Stay out of trouble, okay?" Mom said and you nodded despite her not being able to see. "I love you."

"I love you more." You slowly got up from your seat.

"Love you!" Dad's voice wanted to be heard.

"Love you too, Appa." You giggled.

Hopefully things turn out well. Getting that call got you down just a tad. You know that's why your Mom didn't want to say anything. Lowering your phone, you were about to get lost in your thoughts until you heard your phone beep. You received a text. Glancing down at the screen, you smiled to see it was Hoseok. The street dancing happens at eight and he'll pick you up a couple minutes before then. That sounded great to you. The idea of seeing all the dancers perform was already cheering you up. It'll brighten the mood for sure. You got up from your seat to go back to your room.

Since you had a lot of time to kill before Hoseok picks you up, you decided to do nothing. You laid in your bed for a couple of hours watching dramas before you felt your stomach rumble. Now you weren't full on hungry, but you were craving a certain bag of chips. Quickly, you checked your wallet and you felt so excited to see you still had money left. There were still a few hours left before Hoseok came. The sun was out and close to setting so you had to make this trip fast. Running to your front door, you put on your shows and ran all the way to the closest convenience store.

The convenience store was sitting on the corner of a street. Everyone always went to this one the most. Opening the door, you stepped inside the air-conditioned building. The floors were pristine white and the place smelled like it had been recently mopped. You made your way towards the chips right away. You came here with a purpose. Biting your lip, you scanned the shelves before spotting them. Honey butter chips! Grabbing them, you felt like squealing. You took a step back and accidentally bumped into someone. Oh no! You managed to keep your balance, but you heard a light splash. The person behind you fell, whining as they hit the floor. You automatically turned around, feeling guilty for not watching where you were going.

"I'm so sorry...! I...Jimin?" You tilted your head. Down on the floor was the baby chick rubbing his bottom. He wore the uniform for the store. A long apron with his own little name stitched in with white thread. Park Jimin. He brought a hand up to his head, feeling the few wet splashes he got from dropping the mop. The yellow mop bucket was slowly rolling away from him with the mop by his side. The baby chick stared up at you in surprise, smiling instantly once he saw it was you.

"Noona!" Jimin quickly got up to pull his station together. He brought the mop bucket back, shoving the mop inside. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

"I didn't expect to find you here either. I came on a chip craving." You chuckled, holding up the bag of chips. His grin widened as he looked over at the counter. Currently, there was no one attending to it which got him bouncing on his toes.

"I-I can help you pay for that!" Jimin rushed the mop bucket up to the front. You giggled as you watched him get into action. He wiped his hands on his apron as he went behind the counter. Jimin quickly flashed you his biggest smile. "Is that all you'll be buying?"

"Yes." You wanted to pinch his cheeks. How adorable. Placing the bag of chips down on the counter, you watched him scan it. "Look at you. So professional~!" Jimin's face turned bright pink, but his face was filled with pride. He enjoyed receiving compliments.

"Want a bag?" He asked.

"Sure." You shrugged as he pressed a couple buttons on the register. The bottom pushed out

"That'll be 1,000 won." Jimin stuck his hand out.

"Here you go." You gave him the money in exchange for the bag. Jimin put the money inside the register before closing it. He tapped his fingers, smiling at the person standing behind you. Were you blocking someone else's way? You carefully turned around to see a chest. Raising your head, you saw Namjoon smiling down at you. "Namjoon? What are...does that mean Taehyung is here?"

"I heard my name!!" The puppy came running towards the store front. Once he saw you, he instantly jumped to give you a hug. Namjoon shook his head with a light sigh. He placed down an energy drink on the counter as well as a bag of candy. "Noona! What are you doing here?"

"Buying chips." You petted his fluffy hair. Taehyung continued to keep himself latched on to you. He grinned happily up at you with his square like smile. It must be a Kim thing to have the best smiles. Jimin helped Namjoon to pay for his items. Taehyung then heard Jimin giving Namjoon his change and panicked. He pulled away from you in fear, quickly tugging on Namjoon's sweater.

"W-Wait! I didn't get to—"

"Here." Namjoon handed him the bag of sour candy strips. Taehyung's eyes lit up and he gave Namjoon an lung crushing hug. The little puppy mumbled how much he appreciated his hyung remembering his favorite candy. Jimin walked away from the counter, looking up at Namjoon. You held your bag of chips close to your chest as the baby chick began to pout.

"Hyung, aren't you going to give me a hug before you go?" Jimin whined.

"Come here, Jiminie." Namjoon chuckled as he walked over to hug the boy. The baby chick laughed, happy to hug someone he considered a real older brother. Before getting to know Hoseok, Jimin had known Namjoon first after all. Taehyung stood with a small frown. He didn't like how his own hyung was more affectionate with someone who wasn't even his true little brother. "You're doing so well helping your parents out. You're very responsible, Jimin-a. Maybe Tae can take some notes."

"He could~!" Jimin sang.

"Excuse me!" Taehyung stomped his foot.

"I'm still upset at you for coming in with muddy shoes after I had just mopped!" Jimin stuck his tongue out at the boy before snuggling into Namjoon. Was the baby chick purposely trying to get under the puppy's skin? You were a bit surprised at his pettiness if you were being honest. It was funny at first until you noticed how hurt Taehyung looked. The candy bag crinkled under his increasingly tight hold. The normally talkative puppy quieted down as Namjoon apologized for his younger sibling. You walked over to Taehyung, petting his hair again to cheer him up. The corners of his lips lifted up a tiny bit. You know they would raise higher if you were Namjoon. Letting out a sigh, you truly didn't understand how Namjoon could sometimes be so cold to Taehyung. The puppy always tried his hardest to do his best.

"We'll get going now. Come on, Tae." Namjoon grabbed his brother's hand. Taehyung continued to keep his eyes down on the ground. Namjoon didn't notice until he realized Taehyung was refusing to walk with him. "Tae?"

"I'm going with Noona!" Taehyung stomped over to grab your hand. You chuckled, seeing what he was doing. Namjoon tilted his head in confusion. Even Jimin didn't understand what his friend was doing. Namjoon tried pulling the puppy away, muttering apologies for bothering you.

"He's not bothering me at all." You shook your head. Namjoon paused and Taehyung stared up at you in surprise. Why was he so surprised? "I am afraid though that the place I'm going might go past Tae's bedtime."

"Past my b-bedtime? I'm way too old to have a bedtime, Noona!" Taehyung scoffed.

"That's not true. Nine o'clock." Namjoon crossed his arms as Taehyung winced. You giggled once again at the puppy's behavior. Namjoon slowly looked at you, carefully trying to ask if you were going to Midnight Measure. "Uh...are you meeting up with Yoongi? At...the place?"

"No. I'm actually meeting up with Hoseok to see him on that underground dancer scene." You did a small shoulder dance. Namjoon laughed, tempted to invite himself too. Jimin stood near the counter with interest at his hyung's name. He glanced at you guys as he went to the mop bucket again. "I'll see him do some dance battles and he'll introduce me to a crew he dances with. It's going to be exciting."

"I bet it is." Namjoon nodded.

"Sucks that you and Yoongi aren't interested." You shook your head to see his cheeks become pink. "Well, I'll see you around. Bye, Jimin! Bye, Namjoon!" You waved before turning to Taehyung. You pinched his cheek to earn a giggle from him. "Goodbye my precious, Tae."

"Bye, Noona~!" Taehyung batted his eyes happily at you. He soon glanced at Namjoon with a knowing smirk. Namjoon swallowed hard, holding his energy drink tightly as you left the convenience store. Hopefully Namjoon starts showing more warmth towards Taehyung.

Speaking of hope, it wasn't long before Hoseok came to pick you up. He had told you that his underground name was J-Hope. That's what everyone referred to him as at least.

Apparently, you earn the name as a dancer. You can't name yourself according to him. He couldn't stop talking about the underground dance scene. The place where everyone met was a huge empty back alley next to an abandoned club called 'Poppin'. Hoseok felt that was a bit fitting. He met you at your place and the two of you went on the bus. By the time you guys arrived over there, it was already eight.

The moon was rising up, laying against its blanket of stars. The bus slowed down at its final stop. While you were too lost staring up at the sky, Hoseok nudged your shoulder. The rumble of the motor quieted down and was replaced with the loud hissing of the doors opening. They stiffly opened and you squeezed your way through while holding Hoseok's hand. You grinned as the cool air hit your skin. The two of you were running to wherever this dance hangout was. Zipping up your jacket, you did your best to stay warm since you guys weren't going to be inside. All the dancing happened outside, but Hoseok still wore light clothes knowing he'd get warmed up soon.

Eventually Hoseok's steps began to slow down. He panted lightly as the two of you arrived at the open back alley. This side of town had a lot of rundown places. Not many places stayed open over here. They always shut down after a couple months if they were lucky. Hoseok then turned to face you. He suddenly grabbed your shoulders as if he was about to tell you the most important thing in the world. His face was serious though which made you worry. He's not always serious with you or anyone for that matter. He tends to keep things on the bright side without rest.

"Are you ready to see my side of life?" Hoseok slowly smirked.

"I think I can handle it." You smirked in return.

Hoseok loved hearing that answer. He quickly wrapped his arm around you, bringing you up to the large crowd of people. Music was already playing faintly on a stereo someone owned. What alarmed you was the fact that someone started a fire in a trash can. What kind of place is this? You looked at Hoseok for an explanation, but he was too busy finding this normal. There were two trash cans with fire inside of them to be exact. People were standing next to them for warmth, but also using it as light. That's when you noticed a white spotlight land on the center of the circle everybody was making. Spotlights outside? You looked around to see people setting them up on top of the club roof. Wow, they're really making this place their own.

"J-Hope!" A group of people cheered. You stopped looking around to see who were calling your friend's attention. Hoseok took your hand, grinning as he pulled you over. The group of people noticed and began whistling. So far it felt like the people here were a lot more extroverted than the rappers in Midnight Measure. They had no problem teasing Hoseok for bringing a new girl they had never seen before. The guys were poking at his chest while the girls were already complimenting the new white coat your Dad bought you before him and Mom left.

"T-Thank you." You bowed. "I'm Cha (F/n), Hoseok's—"

"Girlfriend!" Hoseok squeezed you closer. "She's my girlfriend so please be nice and take care of her!"

"Your girlfriend is so cute!" One of the girls squealed.

"Atta boy, J-Hope!" Another guy smacked Hoseok's back.

Hoseok laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. He shrugged as he told his friends about your guy's little romance story. Funny how you weren't even aware the two of you were in a relationship. At first, you froze to hear those words leave his lips. You didn't understand why he was telling lies to strangers. Soon you became interested yourself. Exactly how did Hoseok confess to you and what was your first date with him like? You can't seem to remember for some reason. You narrowed your eyes on Hoseok as he overshared utter nonsense to his friends. They bought it anyway. You had to take Hoseok to the side when he finished babbling on.

"We're dating?" You raised a brow. "Do I have to be paranoid here too?"

"Er, no...I just thought since everyone thinks you're Yoongi's girlfriend at Midnight Measure...why not have everyone think you're my girlfriend here?" Hoseok said as if his logic could possibly make sense in at least one universe.

"Men are something else." You sighed with your arms crossed. Hoseok was just glad you weren't going to hit him. Whatever. You doubt you'll be adding street dancing into your sleep depriving schedule anyway.

The crowd was starting to widen the circle now. It didn't feel as clumped. Hoseok even pulled you closer to him so the circle could shape itself better. The music on the stereo was now playing even louder. A woman then bounced to the middle, announcing that tonight's warm up will be a freestyle. As the night goes on, everyone will get to do battles. The dancers were all hollering and stomping their feet. A lot of them were struggling to keep still with their excitement. Hoseok's smile was ear to ear as he stretched his arms. Other people in the circle were stretching as well. By the time the woman left the circle, a couple jumped into the middle. They started the night off dancing robotically and you were already impressed.

You turned to Hoseok, but he jumped into the circle. You were going to ask him to break down the movement to you and hear the types of technique the people were using. With wide eyes, your eyes followed Hoseok who was joining in the robotic dance. People began taking turns in the center of the circle. You felt it was really cool when people who didn't know each other were able to dance together. Hoseok started to roll his body before passing his wave off to someone else. The person instantly took it without a second thought. With the wave handed to them, they were able to create their own movement. You were slowly getting lost in the hyped atmosphere. People were cheering nonstop and no one was staying still. Even you were moving to the music a tiny bit.

"(F/n)!" Hoseok came up to you, panting lightly. "I know it's only been a couple minutes, but are you enjoying things so far?"

"I am!" You nodded your head as the crowd lost it to the current street dancer in the center. "Thanks for bringing me here. It's fun experiencing these new things."

"I have to agree. Seeing underground rap was like a whole new world." Hoseok grabbed your hands. "I'm surprised there hasn't been much collaborations between rappers and dancers. That should seriously change."

"You should dance to something Namjoon or Yoongi write!" You started jumping up and down.

"Haha, maybe in the future!" Hoseok winked. He turned back to face the circle that was already starting the battles. The MC didn't even have to change it. The crowd was alive as two people stood in the center. They knew how to carry on the show without much help. The first person dancing was doing a lot of cool little moves. It was hard to describe, but Hoseok noticed your interest. He chuckled as he quietly broke it down for you. "They've really got their isolation down. Right now they're showing off their chest isolation and—oh okay—they're popping now. Whoo!"

"Was it hard for you to learn this stuff?" You asked. Hoseok pried his eyes away from the battle to stare down at you.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm an expert and have everything learnt." Hoseok sighed. "But most of what I do know is from watching and attempting it myself. It takes a lot of practice. Dancing involves a lot of mind and body focus actually. You have to understand your body and know your limits."

"Really? You don't just let your body move to the music?" You furrowed your brows.

"I mean, you can and that's always good too. I'm just saying for me that I like to keep my technique clean. I also get hurt less by keeping myself under control." Hoseok began to move fluidly in front of you. Soon his movements grew bold and sharp, but they were all connected. He easily moved into the next movement without any awkward hiccups. "I like to keep my knees bent and always add a little bounce. That's just my personal style though."

"You're so cool!" You watched him in awe. Once you said that, Hoseok melted at your words. He became stiff and covered his face with his hands. He automatically shook his head, acting modest even though he was truly good. "Don't deny it!"

"I'm fine!" Hoseok ignored your pout.

"But you're just dancing on the sidelines right now, yet I can't look at anyone but you. Your movements are eye catching. You're born to dance!" You playfully punched his shoulder. Hoseok blushed at your praise. "Seriously, the guys should see what you got!"

"You're too embarrassing..." Hoseok chuckled. "Ah, one more thing! When it comes to dancing, I believe expressions are extremely important. I know I've heard some people say that as long as you feel it in your body, your face is fine...no. Your face carries the mood of the dance. Everything has to be connected. Dancing is a performance and I like it to be perfect."

"You're more of a perfectionist than I thought you'd be," You admitted.

"Only when it comes to dance." Hoseok smiled and you smiled back at him.

It wasn't long before Hoseok jumped back into the circle. He decided to participate in a battle to show you what he had. Unlike Midnight Measure's battles, these ended in one single round. The repetitive battles were competitions that had to be set up. You were standing next to Hoseok's favorite crew, his main group of friends when he came here. They informed you on everything you were missing out on. Apparently, Hoseok was making a strong name for himself. He was easily becoming a legend here at his age. You didn't know if they were hyping him up to you because he was your 'boyfriend', but you did see how talented Hoseok was. He won the battle, walking off to you with a rush. That's when the MC shouted that Hoseok continues his winning streak.

"Excuse me, streak? Did you even think of mentioning that to me?" You jabbed his chest. You were completely impressed with the reputation Hoseok held here. Despite having so many people admiring him, he was acting all humble. You'd love to brag about something like that.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little competitive." Hoseok rolled his eyes. He did notice your pursed lips and sighed. "Okay, okay...I've won a competition and have beaten a lot of people during battles."

"Yoongi and Namjoon haven't even won battles," You stated as he only shook his head.

"Well, that's rap. They do their battles differently." Hoseok continued to avoid the potential of saying he was awesome. The two of you went back and forth for a couple minutes. You were so determined to make him admit how talented he was.

In the end, Hoseok was red in the face and more embarrassed than anything. You were going to tease him until you heard the crowd quieting down. There were some light chuckles. One person asked what was going on. Hoseok and you looked over at the battle to see a small boy doing pirouettes and leaps. Both of your jaws dropped in shock. After a couple seconds, the boy finally began breaking. That's when he started to earn some cheers from the crowd. While the people found it funny and interesting, Hoseok and you had a lot to say. The battle finished with the boy winning. He was so happy, panting heavily before turning to face you and Hoseok.

"Hyung! Noona!"

"JIMIN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Hoseok grabbed the boy's shoulders. He shook Jimin, but the baby chick couldn't get over his first win.

"You...you did so good." You were amazed. Hoseok looked over at you with a frown. Instead of questioning why he was here, the first thing you did is praise him. You'll question right after Jimin gets over his adrenaline rush from performing. He's not going to listen to you otherwise.

"Thanks, Noona! I know. I won!" Jimin smirked. His little ego was growing and you chuckled in amusement.

"See. This is how you should act." You turned to Hoseok, pointing to the proud baby chick. Jimin had his chest puffed out and his head held high.

"(F/n), no!" Hoseok was growing flustered. He grabbed Jimin's hand and yours too. His crew watched him pull the both of you away from the large circle as the battles continued. Jimin pouted, not understanding why he had to be taken away. The fun was just getting started for him. "Now Park Jimin...mind explaining why you're here?"

"I followed you guys." Jimin shrugged like it was obvious. The baby chick sighed when he saw your shocked reactions. Apparently, the baby chick was hooked the second he heard you mention Hoseok to Namjoon. He had to know more about the underground dance scene. He couldn't get enough from the videos Hoseok sent him. He's practiced dance moves and felt ready to show them off. So he texted a little lie to Namjoon saying you had forgotten something at the store and his parents were asking him to return it. Since he had figured out your address, he waited for Hoseok to pick you up. Without realizing it, the two of you were followed on the bus all the way over here. "Duh. How else?"

"I'm impressed. Not gonna lie." Hoseok narrowed his eyes on the baby chick. Soon Hoseok began to smile. "And though you started your battle different, I feel like it worked to your advantage. You've also gotten a lot better at your b-boying."

"R-Really, Hyung?" Jimin went on his toes. Hoseok nodded to get instantly hugged. Earning a compliment from Hoseok meant the world to the young boy. He's already witnessed how respected Hoseok is here as J-Hope. He wouldn't expect anything less of his hyung. Hoseok ruffled the boy's hair, saying that Jimin reminded him of himself in a lot of ways. He wasn't going to stop Jimin from appearing here since Hoseok began coming to this when he was only in sixth grade. Jimin was already in seventh grade. The two of them laughed together and soon Jimin was bouncing again in excitement. His eyes sparkled as he spoke, "Did you hear about the contest coming to our town?"

"Contest?" Hoseok tilted his head.

"Yeah! Someone put up a poster in front of my convenience store! An entertainment company is going to have a televised competition to see which group of friends can be the next idol group!" Jimin was struggling to remain calm. "They don't want to put people together. They want to see naturally talented groups of friends work together and prove themselves. Meaning they have to write their own songs, choreograph their own dances, and basically make the strongest idol group from friends all sharing a similar passion!"

"Whoa, seriously?" You were surprised. You would never expect this type of contest to ever happen. Entertainment companies always just make survival shows to get the best people possible to make a group. Though you could see the interest with this style.

"It sounds super cool to me!" Jimin nodded.

"That does sound...pretty awesome." Hoseok's eyes glowed for a second. For a short moment, he let himself dream big. He quickly shook his head, reminding himself of the rules. He's supposed to be in a group already. "Ah, I wish I could do that."

"I mean, you could." You shrugged.

"With who?" Hoseok crossed his arms.

"I'm gonna mention it to Taehyung and Jimin. People age thirteen to twenty-one are allowed to participate," Jimin said. "I just thought I would let you know." The baby chick spoke like it was no big deal. Hoseok swallowed hard, unable to put the idea of the contest away from his head. This was his chance. His eyes sparkled again and he could feel his heart racing. What is he supposed to do with himself now? You stared at Hoseok, seeing him let out a heavy breath.

"You know, I auditioned for JYP back in middle school. I got rejected though." Hoseok shrugged as he started walking towards the circle again. You frowned at the sudden fact, following after him. Jimin gasped dramatically and chased after his hyung.

"They're loss, Hyung!" Jimin shouted, making the popular boy laugh.

"That's what I told myself too," Hoseok mumbled under his breath, "_After failing to achieve my dreams_."

"After what?" You caught up with him. Hoseok only waved his hand, muttering that it was nothing. He wanted the both of you to focus on the dancing. Forget about everything else and experience the same thing that makes his heart continue to beat.


	25. Our Dongsaengs

Ch.25

You were bored over at your place. There was nothing to do and no one to talk to. It was lonely and you're growing a little sick of that. So you started texting your friends right away on the group chat. Were any of them willing to hang out today? Yoongi was the first one to respond. He said he was free and willing to leave the house. Before you could make a comment about him being grounded, he put an annoyed face and stated that Mr. Yoo convinced his mom to go easy on him. He felt like Mr. Yoo was still trying to buy his affection in a way.

Well, if he's free then you want to hang out with him already. Namjoon then sent a text while you were in the middle of typing. You were surprised when he said that Hoseok had already barged into his place without notice. They were hanging out without you? Without hesitation, you texted that you would be over in a minute. You could already hear Yoongi sighing at your actions. Though he didn't say anything else, you knew you would be seeing him over there too. Grabbing your jacket, you rush down to your front door to put on your shoes. The four of you always seemed to hang out every day. And you didn't see yourself growing sick of it any time soon.

To get to Namjoon's house, you took a short bus ride over. You felt too lazy to walk. For the entire night you were with Hoseok and Jimin, you were standing up. It was a fun experience and you even danced a teeny bit yourself. Except now your legs were not a huge fan of your past choices. At least you finally got to see what Hoseok is capable of. Jimin even demonstrated his talent. He showed you what he learns in class versus the things he's learned from Hoseok and watching videos. Once people saw Jimin's enthusiasm to learn more about dancing hip-hop, tons of them were trying to teach him new things. Jimin never looked happier.

Then there was that contest that Jimin mentioned. For the rest of the night, it looked like Hoseok had something on his mind. You bet it was that with the way he was looking off into space. You'll probably talk to him about it when you get to Namjoon's house. The bus left you a couple blocks away from his place. It was still nearby so walking over wasn't too awful for your legs. They were also partly sore for some of the things Jimin tried teaching you. Every move he taught you, he always had to correctly position your body. Saying things like 'remember to tuck your butt in, keep your hips turned out, straighten your posture, keep your head up, don't sickle your feet that looks ugly!' and the amount of times he yelled 'point your feet' made you feel guilty.

What you've learned from that was that dance was hard in general. Sitting down was pretty neat. That's probably why you're good friends with Yoongi. He does prefer lying down over sitting if you were being honest. You giggled to yourself as you arrived at the front of Namjoon's house. There was a car in the driveway too which caused you to raise a brow. Were his parents home? Knocking on the door, it was quickly opened by Namjoon. He stepped to the side to let you in as he chuckled awkwardly. He apologized for the mess, saying that he didn't expect visitors today.

"That's fine. I don't mind." You took off your shoes. "Whose car is that by the way?"

"Uh...someone Hoseok insisted to have stay." Namjoon sighed heavily. "Don't freak out. They're in the living room watching—"

"I should be center!!" Jimin's voice shouted.

"Why you!?" Jungkook's voice huffed. Namjoon rubbed his face in frustration, letting you know that this has been going on for a while. You could already hear Hoseok trying to calm them down. His way to settle things was by making Taehyung center. You shook your head at the way those two were behaving. As you walked closer to the living room, Taehyung's snickers became louder. The young children were outside in the backyard with Hoseok teaching them some new choreography he came up with. They were already in position and slowly running through it with counts. The second you stepped into the living room, you heard the voice from the person who owned the car.

"Be nice, Kookie!" Seokjin reminded his nephew. Jungkook pouted, annoyed that he had to be scolded in front of his friends. Jimin had a smug smile on his face until Hoseok smacked his shoulder. The more the baby chick grew comfortable with everyone, his true personality began to shine through. Taehyung let out a heavy sigh and yelled that people were finally finding out who the true Park Jimin is. Instantly, Jimin began chasing him in the backyard. Taehyung was screaming as Jimin ordered him to take that back. Meanwhile those two were running around, Jungkook was following along to Hoseok's review of the choreography. "Oh, so cute~!" Seokjin took out his phone and began recording his nephew.

"Hi, Mr. Kim." You quietly waved. He looked away from his screen to see you and smiled. Though you called him Mr. Kim, it felt a bit weird now that you've spoken to him one on one. It's hard still seeing him as a teacher outside of school.

"Good morning, (F/n). I'm just planning on sending my Noona a video of her son." Seokjin zoomed in on Jungkook. The bunny was smoothly copying everything Hoseok had taught him. He was actually really good. Soon the panting puppy and chickie arrived at Jungkook's side. They joined in on the dance as Hoseok laughed at them.

"I'm here." Yoongi stepped into the room. He walked in calmly with his hands in his pockets. The second he came into the living room, he took notice of Seokjin. His eyes widened in surprise as Namjoon came up behind him. Seokjin finished recording to rewatch the video. He laughed to himself before sending it to his sister. Yoongi then walked over to the teacher who grabbed their cup of tea. "Hey, Mr. Kim. It's me."

"Hey Yoongi, is everything going good for you?" Seokjin took a sip.

"Yeah, everything is fine." The male sat down. Namjoon and you were dumbfounded by how natural the two of them talked to each other. You didn't expect Yoongi to talk to him, much less sit right next to him. You thought he felt uncomfortable around school staff. The two of them quietly chatted until Hoseok stepped inside. He didn't even know that all of you were planning on coming today. He was too busy with the loud children. Namjoon said he would make more tea, walking over to the kitchen. Hoseok happily followed and you felt like joining them. Yoongi saw all of you leaving from the corner of his eye and took that as his cue to follow. "I'll see you around, Mr. Kim."

"Okay, Yoongi-ya. Tell Namjoon that once I finish this cup, I'll be off." Seokjin smiled and Yoongi nodded. "I'll come get Kookie later."

"Will do, Hyung." Yoongi left the room with a grin. Seokjin didn't think anything of it until he remembered he's supposed to be your guy's teacher. Seokjin coughed, trying to get Yoongi back in the room to correct the delinquent on his honorifics but Seokjin was too late.

Yoongi finally joined you guys in the kitchen. Namjoon was moving slowly and carefully as he poured three cups of tea. He didn't want to cause a mess like when you first came over. You were already seated and patiently waiting for the tea. Hoseok on the other hand was still on his feet, moving around with a lot on his mind. You patted the seat next to you for Yoongi to take. The redhead walked over as Namjoon turned around to bring the cups of tea to the table. It was like life flashed before the delinquent's eyes. Yoongi thought for sure that he had f*cked up getting next to the clumsy president. Namjoon's face paled as he accepted fate.

"...nothing happened." Hoseok let out a breath. Namjoon had his face scrunched up tightly but relaxed to see everything was fine. Yoongi quickly took the chance to sit down. He wasn't getting burned today.

"Remind me to never walk near him when he has tea," Yoongi whispered.

"It's not my fault! I'm not clumsy!" Namjoon pouted. He dropped his body in his seat after carefully setting down the tray.

"We know the truth, Namjoon, but it's okay. We still appreciate you." You grabbed your cup. Namjoon's cheeks became lightly tinted with pink. He didn't want to be known as the clumsy one, but it was cute in your opinion. He's tall, intelligent, and handsome. Having him be clumsy just made him cuter. You blushed at your own thoughts. Quickly your eyes shifted over to Hoseok who took a sip of his tea too quickly. He whined, complaining he burned his tongue. He should have blown on the hot liquid in the first place. But you still felt bad for him. A part of you wanted to pat his head or give him something to cheer him up. With Hoseok, he's charming, kind, and talented. He's handsome as well and so is Yoongi. Maybe you're being biased because they're your friends, but it's true. You're not blind to it. Yoongi is cool, creative, and hardworking. They're all really amazing.

Sometimes you felt a bit inadequate near them. They all had their own dreams and aspirations. You were the only one who hasn't found that special something. Even with everything you've been exposed to, nothing has clicked with you. Jimin seems to have already found his touch and he's just in middle school. Drinking your tea faster, you didn't care if it was burning you a bit. You just didn't want to admit you were jealous of a thirteen-year-old. You had to find your dream eventually. It had to be around the corner any minute now. You're working hard towards getting good grades to graduate from this prestigious academy, but all for what? You hadn't even realized you ran out of tea. The boys were staring at you weirdly and you froze.

Clearing your throat, you quickly reached for the graham crackers left out. You shoved a couple in your mouth to act like you were fine. It's not like you're having an existential crisis at sixteen in the middle of trying to have a good time with your friends. That's certainly not what's going on. Namjoon raised a brow at you while Hoseok chuckled. He thought it was funny how your cheeks were filled like a hamster's. Yoongi was about to ask until all of you heard the front door opening. Hoseok and Namjoon looked through the doorframe to see Mr. Kim waving at them.

"I'll be off now! I'll be back to pick up Kookie later!"

"Bye, Hyung!" Yoongi shouted. Hoseok and Namjoon grew confused, watching their teacher awkwardly make his way out.

"Hyung?" Namjoon questioned.

"He's not that old." Yoongi shrugged. You instantly had to glare at him. This was bringing back old memories and you were ready to fight him.

"I think I'll call him hyung too then. It feels weird calling him Mr. Kim when he's already drinking tea at Joonie's house." Hoseok smiled. Namjoon's almost spit his tea at his nickname. He never had a problem when you called him by it though. Not that you did it often anyway. The boys quietly drank their tea with you except for one. He began tapping his foot on the floor, contemplating if he should say something or not. Hoseok became startled, mainly because Yoongi had quickly grown annoyed of the repetitive tapping to where he slammed his fist on the table threateningly.

"See, if I did that then I would break the table." Namjoon frowned.

"Aren't you lucky I'm here?" Yoongi gave a dry chuckle. His eyes slowly turning over to Hoseok with an intimidating gaze. "Hoseok, what's your problem?"

"Well, d*mn. Not even easing into it?" You teased. Yoongi rolled his eyes, knowing you were aware that that was never his style.

"Uh...I've had something on my mind now since yesterday. Jimin-a brought it up to me actually." Hoseok rubbed the back of his neck. He kept his eyes glued to the table self-consciously as Namjoon and Yoongi listened closely. "He told me about this contest being held by an entertainment company looking for a new idol group."

"New idol group?" Yoongi scoffed. "Don't we already have enough of those?"

"Hold on." Namjoon lightly smacked Yoongi's shoulders. He saw the way Hoseok flinched at Yoongi's automatic retort. "Is that something you want to do?"

"...yeah. It's actually been a dream of mine," Hoseok admitted. You quietly watched him look over at Namjoon. "But the thing is with this contest, you have to form your own group with your friends. Everything you perform has to be original as well."

"Everything?" Yoongi grew interest in this. He scoffed in disbelief as he leaned closer over the table. "Are they looking for actually talented idols then?"

"So you want to do the competition...but you have to be in a group already?" Namjoon clarified. Hoseok nodded desperately as he bit his bottom lip. He knew Namjoon wasn't dumb. Why in the world would he be bringing this up to them out of nowhere? Namjoon sighed as he sat back in his chair. "You want us to form a group with you, huh?"

"E-Exactly!" Hoseok stood up. "You and Yoongi write your own things as well as produce music! The both of you are great rappers too and then I'm a dancer!"

"Great dancer," You added. Hoseok waved off your compliment, still not wanting to brag about his skills. It seems like you'll just have to do that for him.

Namjoon was slowly taking this in. He understood what Hoseok was going for, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to have that idol reputation. He was making the same face as Yoongi. The two of them had once said that they weren't too into bubblegum pop. You didn't see what was so wrong with it though. Besides, Yoongi and Namjoon could always make the music different from everyone else in the contest. That's how they could stand out. Even if they don't win, they would get exposure for their talent. People are bound to find at least one of their songs catchy. It overall sounded like a good idea to you, but the two rappers weren't as on board.

Especially Yoongi.

"Is there like a money prize or what? What's the goal here?" Yoongi asked. Hoseok blinked at him, thinking it was obvious.

"W-We would get signed to be a real idol group," Hoseok answered. That only ended up losing Yoongi's previous interest. The concept only became more shallow in the redhead's eyes. He just saw this as a company trying to get more money with a 'unique' idea.

"Great, like dancing and wearing makeup is what I want to do in life." Yoongi crossed his arms. "Idol rappers aren't even real rappers anyway."

"Yoongi." Namjoon and you immediately narrowed your eyes on him. Hoseok's giant smile was weakened to hear that. Seeing some of his excitement disappear was sad to witness. What's so wrong with being an idol?

"Idols work hard too, y'know?" Hoseok said. "A majority might not write their own songs or produce them either, but they have talent and dreams. I don't get why you're sh*tting on them for that when you can barely get yourself out of bed sometimes."

"Oh..." You felt yourself shrink in your seat. Is Hoseok upset? You've never seen him get like this. Your eyes connected with Namjoon across the table who looked just as alarmed. The popular boy always had an optimistic attitude. Seeing this change was scaring you.

"Okay then, Jung Hoseok." Yoongi laughed, a smirk growing on his face. Namjoon and you didn't know what to say. Yoongi wasn't angry? "You really want to form a group with us? We're not exactly the most handsome group of guys. We don't have idol faces and what would you do? You can't just dance and stay silent while we do all the heavy work."

"I can choreograph!" Hoseok bounced on his feet. "M-My singing is okay too—"

"Hell no, you're rapping." Yoongi shook his head. Hoseok shut his mouth right away, surprised with the delinquent's blunt demand. Namjoon was looking back and forth between them. Was he suddenly doing this contest now? He shifted in his seat to take out his phone.

"I-I've never rapped before," Hoseok mumbled shyly.

"Lies." Yoongi remained stubborn. He counted Hoseok's little performance a few days earlier as the first time he rapped. Hoseok only believed that was for fun. The golden boy pursed his lips, but Yoongi refused to let him become a singer.

"Are we actually doing this then?" Namjoon questioned. Hoseok and Yoongi looked at each other with unsure expressions. It was mainly Hoseok's dream before Yoongi started hypothetically planning it out. The two actually didn't know where they were going with it. They shrugged and you quickly stepped in. They had to know that even if they won or not, people would grow some interest in their skills. It was going to be televised after all. Other entertainment companies might go after them. Hoseok thought that was a good point while you could see the shine in Yoongi's eyes. He began to see it in a different light. He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants as he nodded his head to Namjoon. Hoseok and Yoongi couldn't believe they were actually planning to join it. Namjoon tilted his head with a small sigh. "I looked up the contest. It says we have to have at least one vocal." Namjoon was staring at his phone screen. The two of them looked over at him as he read the contest's information. "There's going to be all kinds of groups auditioning then."

"I can be a vocal." You shrugged. Once those words left your lips, you wished you hadn't said them. What were you thinking? You hoped they didn't hear it. To your dismay, their heads quickly turned to face you.

"Really!?" Hoseok ran to hold your hands in his.

"My singing is simple though." You blushed. "Maybe keep your mind open for other vocalists."

"Where are we going to find singers?" Yoongi scoffed.

It was like fate had an answer to his question right away. Behind Hoseok, someone cleared their voice with exaggeration. It didn't end there. Two others joined to clear their throats longer than necessary. Namjoon set down his phone, slightly disturbed. Yoongi poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue as Hoseok moved to the side. Once Hoseok stopped blocking the doorway, he revealed three young boys who wore giant smiles on their faces. Taehyung walked into the kitchen with Jimin and Jungkook right behind them. All of them walked confidently as if they knew they were going to save the situation. You did remember Jimin saying he was going to mention it to his friends after all.

"Us three are vocalists and we need rappers. What do you say?" Taehyung stretched his hand out to shake with Namjoon's.

"Not him. Go for Hyung-nim." Jungkook pointed towards Yoongi. The puppy sighed but readjusted himself.

"No way. Hyung is going to be leader!" Jimin turned Taehyung to face Hoseok. The boys were quietly bickering, but you could see the horror on Hoseok's face. He definitely didn't want the responsibility of being leader. He looked over at Yoongi who whistled and looked away. Was he seriously avoiding responsibility? Namjoon sighed as he tapped the bunny's shoulder, the one closest to him.

"I'm the leader it seems like." Namjoon eyed his two friends. Hoseok gulped, sweating nervously while Yoongi acted oblivious. Jungkook and Jimin quieted down as Taehyung reached his hand out towards his brother again. Namjoon glanced at his phone again, muttering 'thirteen to twenty-one' under his breath. He looked back at his brother who was starting to squirm with impatience. "If you three accept to be our vocals, you do realize you'll have to work extra hard? This isn't just something for fun. This requires actual work and effort."

"I know, Hyung. I'm determined to do whatever it takes." Taehyung kept his hand up.

"I know the importance of hard work when it comes to preparing for recitals. I'm prepared too." Jimin stepped up.

"I-I know the importance of teamwork from when I played sports! I'll work hard!" Jungkook tightened his hands into fists.

"Do you still want to be in the group, (F/n)?" Namjoon turned to you. With all the attention on you, all you could do was shrug and stammer on your words. "We'll just put you as temporary then. You can decide to drop or join in before we properly sign up then."

The three boys began cheering enthusiastically. They all couldn't stop talking about getting to perform in front of people. They knew it would be the most exciting thing they would experience anytime soon. Yoongi chuckled before pulling out a notebook. You stared at it curiously as he opened it. There was nothing inside. Last you checked, today was for hanging out. You weren't quite in the mood for tutoring even though you guys have been missing out on a few of Namjoon's lessons. Yoongi tapped Namjoon's shoulder, stealing his attention away from his dongsaengs.

"I decided to carry a notebook wherever I go now." Yoongi grinned. "I'll be able to write lyrics all the time."

"Hell yeah, exactly!" Namjoon clapped his hands. "It works better than finding a dirty old napkin."

"So f*cking true." Yoongi already began scribbling into the notebook.

"I have no idea how you guys even write lyrics," You commented. Yoongi and Namjoon gave you little smiles. From the conversations you've had with Yoongi, he prefers to write lyrics based off his own experiences. He feels like writing his life down is what comes easiest to him. It's an outlet for him. You should talk to Namjoon about his method. You smiled back at them as the younger boys got louder. They were all jumping at Hoseok's feet. They wanted him to continue teaching that dance he was doing with them earlier. Namjoon looked over at his brother, getting ready to tell him to stop bothering his friend.

"Okay, I'll teach you guys!" Hoseok gave in. He laughed as Taehyung quickly hugged him tightly. You poured yourself some more tea.

"You're the best hyung ever! You're so much fun to be around!" Taehyung said, those words not sitting well with Namjoon. "Please keep teaching me how to dance!"

"Let's dance!" Jungkook started jumping back to the backyard.

"I can't wait to do the contest!" Jimin ran with him.

Hoseok laughed at their ecstatic behavior. The little puppy held Hoseok's hand, dragging him over in the direction of the backyard. You blew on your hot beverage as Namjoon's eyes followed the two leaving the room. Interesting. You took a sip, watching Namjoon chew on his bottom lip. Yoongi had barely been paying attention to the kids. He was too busy writing lyrics down. He would spend a few seconds writing something down then some silence before something else came into his mind. You took another long sip as Namjoon silently looked around the kitchen. Acting as if he wasn't bothered by what had occurred in front of him. There was silence for a couple minutes. Only the sound of Yoongi's pencil moving, you drinking, and Namjoon bouncing his leg. Then he couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay. Earlier Taehyung called Hoseok the best hyung ever. That's kind of messed up considering I'm right here. I'm his _real_ hyung." Namjoon pointed to himself in frustration. Yoongi nodded at his progress before putting his pencil down as you swallowed your last gulp of tea.

"To be fair, you treat him like sh*t," Yoongi flatly stated. You instantly covered your mouth. It's a good thing you didn't have tea in your mouth. You would have spit it out otherwise. Namjoon's eyes widened, shocked and offended by his friend's blunt words. You would have at least tried to sugar coat it a bit.

"What? No, I don't! (F/n), I don't treat Tae like—"

"You kind of do." You puckered your lips. You had to say it because you couldn't stand hearing Namjoon being unaware. It's not like you haven't told him this in the past. Yet he was still surprised and not taking the news well. Namjoon stared at the both of you with his mouth open. He didn't know what to say, but the truth was out there.

"N-No...I treat Tae like a brother. We're siblings so—" Namjoon ran a hand through his hair.

"Namjoon, we've just recently become friends, but I've known you for longer and seen the way you treat Taehyung when he's around. You treat him like sh*t." Yoongi repeated. "I like your songs though. And your rapping too. But yeah, not the greatest big brother."

The class president was stunned. He never thought it would be this big of a problem. To him, the way he treated Taehyung was normal. It was the type of relationship where you always bicker and annoy your siblings. That was normal to Namjoon. He wanted you to defend him, but he saw you struggling to contain your laughter. It's not your fault though. The way Yoongi said it made it a lot funnier. You did agree with him about Namjoon's skills as an older brother. He acted more like a parent who was disappointed with the child they were left stuck with. Since Taehyung is a growing boy who's young, he needs a lot of attention and love. He's not really getting that from his parents who are practically never existent. That's why you feel Namjoon is lacking as a brother at the moment. It would be a different story if their parents were around.

Nudging Yoongi, you leaned over to whisper about what happened at the convenience store. Namjoon never really hugs Taehyung back. He keeps his arms to his side as Taehyung begs for a single ounce of affection. Then Namjoon shows actual affection to someone who isn't his little brother, but his namdongsaeng's best friend. That felt a little cold to you even if Namjoon didn't mean it that way. Taehyung was hurt by it. Then that comment Namjoon made about Taehyung learning something from Jimin? Yoongi winced to hear it. Jimin got a hug and compliments. All Taehyung got in return was a mediocre hug and got compared to his best friend. That was a pretty rotten move. Yoongi looked over at Namjoon in disbelief while the tall male stared at him quietly.

"You're a d*ck. Why do you have to be so cold to Taehyung? Poor boy is desperate for attention nowadays." Yoongi scoffed.

"We just became friends. Why do you have to be so rude?" Namjoon whined.

"We're doing this for your own good." You sighed. Namjoon only felt like he was being attacked for no reason. That was his first problem. Yoongi closed his notebook as he turned to you.

"Want to go to the convenience store?" He asked.

"Sure!" You jumped up. Namjoon looked between to the two of you, now hurt that you guys weren't asking him if he wanted to go too.

"What about me?" Namjoon whined.

"You'll stay here and think about your life choices." Yoongi patted Namjoon's shoulder. He wasn't enjoying this type of treatment. Namjoon growled at Yoongi's sarcasm, getting fed up with his obvious mistakes that he couldn't see. It's a good thing one of the young children came running in. They came up to the table panting and looking up at all of you.

"Can I have a glass of water please?" The bunny smiled. Namjoon nodded, immediately getting Jungkook a small glass of water. In the meantime, Jungkook looked over at Yoongi with a huge grin. He always stared at Yoongi with admiration and had a grateful glow. Soon Namjoon handed the bunny his water. The boy chugged it down and sighed when he finished. He wiped his lips as he noticed all of you were standing up, ready to leave. "Where are you guys going?"

"Convenience store right around the block," Yoongi told him. Jungkook started to bounce on his toes. He grew excited, setting down his glass.

"Can I come?" Jungkook looked at the three of you with a cute face. You didn't have the heart to say no to the small bunny. It appeared that Namjoon couldn't do it either. The only one able to was Yoongi.

"Sorry, little buddy. We don't know when Seokjin hyung is going to pick you up. We can't take you only for him to find out you're not here." Yoongi crossed his arms. Jungkook instantly pouted, upset with his uncle for ruining his fun. The bunny kicked at the ground and insisted it didn't matter. His uncle could wait. Yoongi didn't budge on his thoughts though.

"How about this, Jungkook-a? We'll buy you your favorite snack and next time we'll bring you with us." Namjoon smiled, his dimples appearing on his cheeks. The bunny gasped in delight at the good news. He automatically shouted that banana kick chips were his favorite. Jungkook thanked Namjoon and ran off to join the others again. At that point, Yoongi and you looked over at Namjoon with knowing eyes. The president was watching Jungkook and chuckled to himself before noticing the judgement he was earning from his friends. "What? What'd I do this time?"

"Now I'm not saying getting a snack for Jungkookie is the end of the world. I'm just saying that's how you should be treating Taehyung." Yoongi shook his head as he walked over to the front door.

"If you're buying Jungkook his favorite then you have to get the others their favorite too." You narrowed your eyes on the nervous president.

"I-I am!" He assured you. He automatically listed the favorite snacks of Taehyung and Jimin's. Then while you guys were at it, you figured you might as well buy something for Hoseok. He can't be the only one without something. That'd be awful.

The three of you left Namjoon's house. The giant was grumbling under his breath about how he didn't treat Taehyung awfully. Whatever. You didn't see what was so painful about showing Taehyung extra love even if he did treat Taehyung kindly in the first place. Yoongi rolled his eyes while you only giggled. The walk over to the convenience store was extremely short. From Namjoon's house it was less than a five-minute walk. It was nice to have it so close by. It was _convenient_. Yes, you're proud of that. The three of entered the store, hearing the bell ring when Yoongi pushed the door open. Your ears were greeted with the sound of the AC running and faint music playing in the background.

Yoongi had already walked off to find his own things. Namjoon and you slowly walked down the same aisle. The two of you were going to get chips anyway. Namjoon was now trying to defend himself even louder now that it was just you two. He was easily annoying you. You've already seen the proof right in front of your own eyes. After grabbing your chips, you faced Namjoon to tug on his ear. You're not going to listen to any more whining. If he wants to prove he's a good hyung to Taehyung, show it. Don't say it. Namjoon got the message pretty quickly when you did it that way. He rubbed his ear, staring at you with sad big eyes.

"(F/n)—" He started only to get cut off.

"Namjoon-a! Welcome!" A man waved behind the counter. His eyes soon landed on you and he grinned. "Oh, you brought someone with you?"

"Hello, Mr. Park." Namjoon turned to him with a smile. He bowed before grabbing all his items. He grabbed everyone's snacks. Quickly, you went up to the counter with him. You guys set all your items down and you bowed to introduce yourself.

"Hi, I'm Cha (F/n)." You smiled. "We have one more friend choosing their item."

"Alright, let me just get these ringed up while we wait." Mr. Park smiled warmly. He shared the same smile as Jimin where his eyes would turn to lines. You could already see the resemblance. He saw one of the items Namjoon was buying and shook his head. "Did Jimin-a ask you to buy these while you were here?"

"No, Sir. I'm just doing this on my own since Taehyung has his friends over." Namjoon shook his head. Mr. Park was already impressed, placing his hand over his heart. You could tell he was a big fan of Namjoon. Most parents would be after knowing about the high grades Namjoon has and for the high school he goes to.

"You're so kind." Mr. Park finished scanning all the snacks. His eyes soon traveled over to you. "I don't mean to pry, but are you Namjoon's girlfriend?"

"Yeah," You answered. Namjoon's face turned dark red. He expected you to deny it on the spot. Normally, you would have done so.

"Oh, look at you two! So cute!" Mr. Park pressed some buttons on the register. "I just had to give you guys a family discount." Namjoon stopped stumbling over his words. He slowly began to grin and wrapped his arm around your waist.

"Thank you, Mr. Park. We're really happy together!" Namjoon made sure his smile was huge. That's when Yoongi came over with a soda and gummy worms. He put them on the counter and instantly noticed Namjoon's arm on you. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously on the male but didn't say anything. Mr. Park added Yoongi's things and stated the total amount. Yoongi put what he owed as Namjoon pulled his arm away to open his wallet. That's when you clutched onto his arm, staring up at him with big eyes.

"Can you pay for me, Oppa?" You made sure not to smirk. Mr. Park adored seeing the interaction, completely ignoring Yoongi's 'what the f*ck' face. Yoongi was more disturbed and confused then angry. Namjoon felt his words get caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say at first until he realized you were using this opportunity to make him pay for you. He lips thinned as he begrudgingly pulled out more money than he originally intended to.

"What a gentleman you've grown up to be, Namjoon-a! I'm so proud!" Mr. Park took the money. Yoongi nodded his head and even clapped for his friend.

"He's always been a major gentleman. I still have a lot of things I could learn from him," Yoongi said. His sarcasm naturally leaving his mouth to the point where it completely flew over Mr. Park's head. Namjoon stomped on Yoongi's foot when Mr. Park wasn't looking. The redhead contained his groans, gritting his teeth.

"I try," Namjoon said through a tight smile. Mr. Park then waved, watching the three of you exit the store. Yoongi would have been snickering had his foot not been smooshed by the giant clumsy president. Namjoon wasn't too happy himself. You were the only person genuinely smiling when they left the convenience store. As soon as you guys stepped out, Namjoon had to question what happened back there. "Why would you say you're my girlfriend?"

"I'm Yoongi's girlfriend at Midnight Measure, Hoseok's girlfriend to his dance crew, so I thought I might as well be your girlfriend too. And guess what? I got you a discount." You smirked. Yoongi thought it was a good deal, but Namjoon wasn't as impressed.

"That just means I'll have to pay for your things every time we go in there now. Mr. Park is going to tell Mrs. Park, you know that?" Namjoon questioned.

"You're making it sound like a bad thing." You crossed your arms. Namjoon was going to say something else until he realized he was going to lose no matter what. Anything he threw at you, you were going to make it a positive. But only for yourself.

"Hey, it's not so bad. At least we can complain about our girlfriend's together." Yoongi nudged Namjoon. You automatically gasped. Especially when Namjoon laughed and agreed that they would have their own little chats later. You're both of their fake girlfriends! They laughed as you pouted the entire way back to Namjoon's house. Good for Namjoon and Yoongi to have become close friends. The only thing that sucks is now they can make fun of you together. That's lovely, but in the end...what are friends for? You know you would do the same. It's a d*mn shame you don't have anyone you can complain to about your boyfriends with. Jimin is going to be in for quite the surprise when he gets home though.

When the three of you made it back, you got tired of pouting. At that point you were over the joke. If you do catch them complaining then you won't hesitate to grab them both by the ear. Namjoon already knows what your capable of and you're sure Yoongi is aware. Yoongi then pointed out that Seokjin had to be back. His car was in the driveway after all. With snack filled bags, Namjoon opened the door and you guys followed him towards the backyard. Hoseok was standing as he watched the preteens slowly dance with Seokjin. You giggled, watching Seokjin occasionally mess up and Jungkook get frustrated with him. The three of you didn't want to interrupt the show.

"Not like that! Like _this_." Jungkook huffed as he demonstrated the move.

"They both look the same!" Seokjin panted.

"They feel different!" Jungkook remarked. Seokjin couldn't say anything to that. Before they could continue to fight, Hoseok clapped his hands for them to start from the top. Jimin was in charge of doing the counts since he was the only one of the three who knew how to keep track. You knew that would really help for the contest. Something in your stomach told you that they would be amazing. With Yoongi and Namjoon's powerful lyrics and Hoseok's strong choreography. You'll be rooting for them all the way to the end.

The four males got into position. This time Seokjin was able to properly keep up with the three preteens and actually performed it well. Once they finished, you couldn't help yourself from clapping and cheering. Hoseok turned around in surprise. He instantly wanted to know what you guys thought of the dance. It was obviously amazing! The three preteens came running to Namjoon who carried the snacks while Seokjin panted. He watched the younger boys who were still full of energy. They thanked Namjoon as they dug in happily. Yoongi gave Seokjin a thumbs up, calling himself a big fan. That's when Seokjin mouthed for Yoongi to 'shut up' and tiredly sat down. Hoseok laughed in amusement, impressed that Mr. Kim even bothered to learn the dance. He's a good uncle.

"Nice job, Hyung." Hoseok clapped.

"Yah!...ugh, I'm too tired." Seokjin fell back on the grass.


	26. My Hero

Ch.26

With the competition in everyone's mind, the boys have been working hard. Namjoon has already started working on new lyrics and pulling out old ones that he thought would work. Yoongi on the other hand was already preparing a demo version to one of Namjoon songs. He sent that version to Hoseok so he could get an idea of what the choreography should look like. Then there was you trying to get them prepared to work together. Hoseok has never performed with Yoongi and Namjoon. The rappers have only battled each other, but that's as close as they've gotten to performing on stage together. Either way, you wanted to make sure the chemistry was there.

The boys still considered you a part of their group. You weren't quite sure you wanted to be an idol, but you knew you wanted to help. So far you've taken pictures of all the boys and have been trying to figure out outfits that would work best for them. Namjoon showed you his lyrics and Yoongi had the demo played for you. It gave you the vibe they were going for. Then you had to consult with Hoseok in case he wanted flexible outfits. How intense is the dance? Will it get too hot? What were the boys comfortable wearing? A lot more factors went into their clothes than they expected. You were just glad you could help them out.

But it wasn't just the clothes that you were helping them with. You really wanted them to perform together first. Just one performance with only the rappers at Midnight Measure. So far you've texted Jinyo to help you get in contact with the MC. You wanted to see if it was possible to have a test run performance in front of a crowd. Yoongi and Namjoon were teaching Hoseok how to rap every single day. It made you proud to see them already working like a team. Hoseok took all their tips, listening carefully and made sure to apply it. He was working extremely hard and the boys gave him that in return when he taught them little combos.

Yoongi wasn't a fan of the exercise, but he was better than Namjoon. Sometimes the combos would confuse the poor president. It was mainly whenever Hoseok gave them intense footwork. Namjoon did his best to get it memorized. He did it slowly a hundred times before doing it at full speed. Since they were learning combos along with the preteens, you had to learn some of them too. You were okay at dancing, but you felt awkward doing the moves. Anytime you looked at yourself dancing in a mirror, you just didn't see the power the other boys had. It was a little unfair. At the same time, you were perfectly fine with not standing out. As long as they shined bright on stage.

Currently, the four of you were in Mr. Kim's class. He was busy correcting papers at the front of the room. He handed out worksheets earlier that could be done in groups. A part of you felt like Mr. Kim was making group projects happen more because your friend group had grown. It felt like he was trying to make Yoongi socialize more and have Namjoon get to help all his friends. Maybe it was all in your head though. Getting back on track, you were looking up outfits the boys could be wearing instead of doing class work. Yoongi was listening to his demo music on his phone and was writing down notes. Things to change, keep, or even adding lyrics. Hoseok was trying to quietly come up with new combos to teach while Namjoon did the worksheets for everyone. He got the raw end of the stick, but it's not his fault he's a genius.

"Can't Hoseok do the rest of the worksheets? I want to write lyrics." Namjoon frowned.

"Do you want us to fail?" Yoongi looked at him with a serious expression.

"Rude. You're not lying, but rude," Hoseok muttered.

"This is cheating." Namjoon shrugged.

"Thanks for the reminder. I have one for you too. Do you know who my Eomma is married to?" Yoongi raised brow. Namjoon and Hoseok slowly nodded as if Yoongi was ensuring their safety. Principal Yoo wouldn't touch them as long as they were friends with his wife's son.

"Abusing your privileges?" You looked up from your phone to meet eyes with Yoongi. He scoffed, mumbling that it wasn't his fault that Principal Yoo was desperate to be accepted. It sounded harsh, but you sort of understood where Yoongi was coming from. Principal Yoo only wanted to be seen as a potential father figure for Yoongi. He wanted to fill in the missing hole in Yoongi's life, but Yoongi was fine. He didn't need one. Even though Principal Yoo had good intentions, he wasn't going about it right.

Yoongi went back to his music and plugged in both earbuds this time. He closed his eyes as he worked hard to improve the demo. Namjoon sighed, returning his focus back onto the worksheet. He knew no one else was going to finish it for him. The only thing that made him happy was the fact that the problems were easy and he could finish it quickly. At least to him. That's why he's doing the worksheet for all of you in the first place. Hoseok moved around in his seat before writing down exactly what he did. He wrote down formations and made so many notes hoping he would remember once school let out. You would have returned your own focus back to your phone if it weren't for the fact that you made eye contact with Mr. Kim across the room.

At school, Seokjin is Mr. Kim. The main reason you say this is because he's getting up from his seat to walk over to you guys. He caught you with your phone in your hands. Yoongi was too lost in his music and Hoseok was making noise in his seat. From the way it looked, Namjoon was the only one doing the work. That already didn't look good. You kicked Yoongi and Hoseok underneath the table so they would get the hint. Hoseok jumped in surprise, not understanding why he was getting attacked. Yoongi on the other hand growled and ripped out his earbuds. He wanted to know what was so important that you had to hurt him for his attention. Their questions were quickly answered when Mr. Kim stood in front of all of you with a smile.

"What's going on here?" Mr. Kim leaned closely to see what all of you were doing. Yoongi quickly stuffed his phone in his pants out of panic. Hoseok tossed his notes on the floor, sweating at the light thud it produced. You were a little smoother with shoving your phone in your jacket's sleeve. Mr. Kim eyed all of you before his eyes landed on Namjoon. "Are you the only one working?"

"Uh, no. I'm just trying to help them figure out this problem right here." Namjoon pointed to his paper as the rest of you struggled to breathe calmly. "None of them could figure it out."

"I see." Mr. Kim looked over at the rest of you. "Now kids—"

"Don't be like that, Hyung." Yoongi groaned. He leaned closer to the table, ignoring Mr. Kim's flustered face. "We know we're your favorite students. You don't have to worry about it. We'll get our work done."

"T-That's good but...don't call me that while we're at school." Mr. Kim sighed heavily, crossing his arms. "It's already strange hearing it outside of school."

"But we're so close, Hyung. Jungkook is teaching you all the combos I taught him and you dance them well." Hoseok playfully punched Mr. Kim's stomach. The teacher stumbled back, shocked and uncomfortable. He was looking around to see if other students were overhearing. They surprisingly weren't though. All of them were focused on completing their assigned work. That's what Mr. Kim would expect from top students. The mess he was dealing with right in front of him was a different story. Hoseok kept trying to poke Mr. Kim after discovering his teacher was ticklish around his waist.

"What are you—? Haha, knock it off!" Mr. Kim smacked Hoseok's hand away.

"Sorry about that." Namjoon glared at his friend. Hoseok frowned, refusing to see what he did as wrong. He just thought it was fun.

"Is there anything you need, Mr. Kim?" You asked. The blushing teacher collected himself, staring at you with a gentle smile. The three other boys looked up at the teacher to listen closely.

"Just promise me you guys will complete the work." Mr. Kim gave up. He wasn't going to deal with them any longer. Yoongi liked making fun of him, Hoseok wouldn't stop tickling him, but Namjoon and you were okay. For now.

The teacher retreated back to his desk. His morning was slightly more eventful than he expected it to be. As soon as he dropped his tired body into his seat, the four of you looked at each other with smug expressions. It was mainly Hoseok and Yoongi who were proud of themselves. You found the incident pretty entertaining. Though Namjoon didn't want to admit it, he thought it was funny too. He only shook his head with a smile on his face. Everyone went back to work without any issues this time. Eventually all of you got the worksheet done by the time class was coming to an end. Before Mr. Kim released you guys, he had an announcement to make as your homeroom teacher.

"I just wanted to let you guys know that testing is coming soon. With a small vacation break coming up, we need to start getting ready for it. The testing will come back later for when spring break comes near." Mr. Kim set a large pile of papers on top of his desk. "I printed out study guides. Please take one before you go. Thank you!"

"Testing?" Yoongi grimaced.

"Is that happening already? This sucks." Hoseok groaned, letting his body sink in his chair.

"As long as we study, we'll be fine." Namjoon shrugged. He was cleaning up his area without a care. He placed everything in his backpack, but it wasn't very organized.

"Study and prepare all original material for a contest?" You asked. Namjoon hesitated as he stood up. You had a point there. Things were about to get a lot more stressful. Namjoon might be able to take care of himself, but the three of you were in danger. All of you relied on Namjoon and that only piled more stress on the poor guy. Hoseok chewed on his bottom lip while Yoongi sighed.

"Don't worry, Namjoon! We'll all study hard. You don't have to worry about us." Hoseok chirped brightly. His attitude quickly relaxed the president. Namjoon smiled back at Hoseok, reassured that testing would pass by like a breeze.

"Yeah, so go get us those study guides already." Yoongi smirked. Namjoon rolled his eyes at his friend's laziness but didn't mind doing the favor. He grabbed four study guides for all of you. The entire thing was five pages long, front and back. These were going to be fun to fill out. You tried not to let the amount of problems or pages get to you though. Namjoon has taught you all these problems. You'll be fine as long as you read the instructions carefully and do them like you were taught. Piece of cake!

It was a simple enough task. None of you wanted to fill Namjoon with stress. He's already the leader for to be named group. So far you guys haven't figured out a name. You personally didn't consider yourself a member so you didn't want to give them a name. Hoseok wanted you to be a member so bad. He wanted there to be an odd number of members so formations would work better. He couldn't stand the idea of there no being a proper middle. It made choreographing a lot more complicated to him. Namjoon just told Hoseok to choreograph with seven people in mind. You hope you don't let them down then.

That was your only worry. You didn't want them to look like idiots on stage with you right next to them. Making them look good with their outfits and figuring out places for them to perform was no problem. It was kind of fun taking charge. It's not like you had other hobbies. The boys worried that they put too much work on you, but you were fine. It was nothing you couldn't handle. All of you were doing fine with your own responsibilities. The only person left with more work was Namjoon. Though you guys assured him earlier that he didn't have to worry about your grades, he chose to anyway. He wanted to be a good class president and friend.

Namjoon promised that the lesson after school would be the start of the study guide. He was going to make sure it got completed for you guys to study on your own. It was kind of him to help. Even when you told him it wasn't necessary, Namjoon insisted. He wanted to make sure he gave you guys the tools to succeed. At that point, Yoongi started teasing him for sounding like a teacher. Hoseok only whined that he was hoping to mess around. He preferred playing with the kids and not doing math problems at Namjoon's house. As soon as the kids were mentioned, Namjoon decided they would be banned from the kitchen tonight. They're not allowed to interrupt for as long as the lesson goes.

He was taking this thing pretty far. You weren't sure if you should have stopped him or not. It was just studying, right? It's not like anyone could get hurt from that. Besides, the boys have left you guys undisturbed in the past. It most likely won't be a problem for them to give you guys your space. If their hyungs ask this favor of them, they'll do it at a drop of a hat. So the three of you went with Namjoon to his house without any problems. All of you actually felt relatively okay. Things weren't crazy anymore and preparing for the contest might have been a bit worrying, but it was fun. Hoseok enjoyed choreographing, Yoongi liked producing, and Namjoon loved writing lyrics.

Things only started looking bad when Namjoon began the tutoring session. Namjoon was already looking over the study guide anxiously. He wanted to get it done quickly so none of you would have to worry, but he also wanted to make sure you guys understood it all. It was sort of overwhelming. The president stared at all of you intensely and it was awkward. You glanced at Hoseok and Yoongi to see how they were taking things. Hoseok looked like he wanted to go home. Yoongi looked a bit intrigued as if he wanted to see if this would lead to a mental break down.

"Are you sure you guys have no questions?" Namjoon repeated.

"W-We're sure." Hoseok was a bit scared.

"So you just know it? You know everything?" Namjoon narrowed his eyes on the male.

"Dude! It's been thirty minutes and we've only done two problems. Pick up the f*cking pace." Yoongi huffed. It's not like Hoseok was going to yell at Namjoon and you weren't at your limit yet to snap. Namjoon flinched but saw where Yoongi was coming from. He looked at the clock and swallowed nervously. "You've literally taught us all these things before. We understand it perfectly fine, Joon. Honestly, we could do these by ourselves. If we have questions then we'll just ask you. Sh*t. It's not that hard."

"What he said. Sort of." You laughed. "We just want you to relax, Namjoon. You're all over the place when you really don't have to be."

"Exactly! It's kind of scaring me," Hoseok added. Namjoon licked his bottom lip as he met all your eyes. It wasn't long before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sorry...it's just a habit of mine to get all worked up over school." Namjoon sighed heavily. All of you understood that. It wasn't until recently that Namjoon has put more focus on something else besides school. He's actually striving towards his dreams and is only struggling to find a perfect balance.

"Screw school. If we win the contest, why bother?" Yoongi leaned back to cross his arms behind his head.

"Okay, don't think like Yoongi," You said to earn a sharp glare.

"Just trust us, Namjoonie. Now let's just go through this study guide as if it were normal homework." Hoseok smiled. That helped Namjoon more than Yoongi's advice. The president grabbed the study guide again, taking a deep breath first this time.

"I'M HERE!!" A loud voice opened the door. You giggled at his entrance every single time. Though he said the same thing, you noticed how his voice was getting a few pitches lower by the day. Even Hoseok was grinning at Yoongi.

"Puberty!" Hoseok whispered.

"You make it sound like it was a fun experience." Yoongi frowned.

"Hey Taehyung, I'm tutoring today! Play with your friends in your room and don't disturb us!" Namjoon shouted for them to hear. The excited whispers from the boys became completely silent. Namjoon looked back to you guys with a relieved smile. The sound of their feet going up the stairs was heard. "Good, now we can focus on getting a majority of this done. We've been really behind on my lectures, but I bet this will help us get back on track."

"Ugh, I wanted to play with our dongsaengs." Hoseok kicked his leg, letting his head hang over the spine of the chair. "They're growing up so fast. Especially Tae."

"Tae isn't growing up." Namjoon scoffed.

"Have you heard his voice?" Yoongi questioned. "It's getting deeper. Not to mention, he's growing taller than the other two already."

"Oh, I can't imagine them being taller than me. That's gonna be so sad." You suddenly felt hurt at the thought. Right now they were all adorably below your chest. Though a part of you always knew they would grow taller. If Taehyung is truly related to Namjoon, he's going to tower over you too. It pained your heart since you saw them all as cute little babies. Namjoon only shook his head as if all of you were speaking nonsense.

"Come on, let's pay attention." Namjoon requested. He tapped the table to make sure his three students stopped getting off topic.

Though you weren't really in the mood to study or learn anything, you forced yourself to keep it together. This was going to help you in the end. You needed to pass this year and then all you had left was two more years. The sound of finishing school almost sounded unbelievable. That's practically all you've been doing for as long as you've been alive. They expect you to do something new? Maybe that's why they emphasize the importance of college. It's just school. Something everyone knows. You began to get lost in your own thoughts a bit as Namjoon reviewed the study guide. Despite being somewhere else mentally, you managed to keep up with what he was doing. You were only acting a bit absentmindedly.

It wasn't until you heard pounding footsteps that you snapped out of it. What was going on? You checked the clock to see there was only thirty minutes left before tutoring finishes. It's the usual time the kids appear. Namjoon looked at the doorway as three small bodies entered the room. You were surprised by the storm that came in. Jungkook rushed to Yoongi, quickly latching onto the male with papers in his hand. Actually, all three of the boys had papers in their hands. Jimin jumped over to Hoseok, shoving the papers in the male's face. Lastly Taehyung bounced on his toes as he held up his papers to Namjoon.

"Please correct our papers! It's for school!" Taehyung giggled. He glanced at the other boys who were nodding their heads too. Yoongi grabbed Jungkook's paper before ruffling the boy's hair. Hoseok laughed as he took Jimin's paper to read. Namjoon was the only one who hadn't grabbed the paper. Taehyung's excitement started shifting into a desperate need. "Hyung, please read mine! I want you to correct it!"

"Really, Taehyung? I told you that I'm tutoring." Namjoon crossed his arms. Taehyung bit his lip, still trying to make Namjoon spare a single glance at him. "We're busy so we really can't correct them right now."

"I-It's important though! It's a huge part of our grade, Hyung...I-I want it to be perfect." Taehyung's voice was growing shaky. The puppy swallowed as if there was a lump forming in his throat. The bunny and chick looked over at their friend, feeling sadness for him. Hoseok was smiling as he read Jimin's paper and Yoongi chuckled softly at Jungkook's paper. Across the table from you, Namjoon pushed Taehyung's paper back into his chest. "Hyung...please."

"Taehyung, listen to me." Namjoon refused to even acknowledge the boy with a look. He kept his eyes on the study guide. Taehyung weakly nudged his paper towards his brother again.

"Please just r-read the first—" Taehyung soon flinched at Namjoon's outburst.

"I don't get why this isn't going through your head, Kim Taehyung. _Not. Now_." Namjoon was stern. In that second, Taehyung threw the papers in Namjoon's face. He gritted his teeth as his lips quivered.

"You wouldn't treat Jimin like this! O-Or Jungkook, I bet!" Taehyung shouted. "I don't get why you hate me so much!"

Namjoon batted the papers away in shock. By the time they fell on the ground and allowed him to see, his little brother had vanished. Taehyung ran up the stairs to what you could only assume was to hide in his bedroom. Jungkook stayed close to Yoongi's chair, awkwardly looking over to the baby chick. Jimin had a frown on his face, hurt to see his friend so upset like that. You could feel the same pain Jimin was feeling for the puppy. Narrowing your eyes down on Namjoon, the male stood in confusion and frustration. He yelled for Taehyung to come back downstairs and to get his papers. He wasn't quite sure what was going on as he picked up Taehyung's papers.

"This is so sweet, I could cry." Hoseok held the papers close to his chest. He quickly hugged Jimin, the two squeezing each other tightly.

"We wanted to make it a surprise, Hyung." Jimin smiled weakly.

"It's very kind...I'm honored you called me your hero." Yoongi gave Jungkook a hug. Namjoon stared at the two interactions silently before his eyes connected with your judging ones.

"It's true, Hyung-nim! You saved me from those bullies!" Jungkook bounced before his enthusiasm died down. He turned to face Namjoon, fidgeting with his fingers. "We had to write a paper saying who in our lives is our hero and why. Another part of the assignment was to show it to them..."

"I wrote mine about Hyung for all that he's taught me about dance..." Jimin mumbled. "And Taehyung..." Namjoon looked horrified now as the realization hit him like a bus. He looked down at the paper, groaning at his past actions. Yoongi set down Jungkook's papers to slow clap.

"And brother of the year goes to Namjoon!" Yoongi smirked. Hoseok kicked the delinquent from under the chair. He didn't want an unnecessary fight to break out despite knowing Yoongi was only joking. Namjoon didn't care about the joke. He finally let his mistakes crush him as he read Taehyung's paper. He looked up at you again, seeing your arms crossed and your face filled with disappointment.

"Go apologize," You spoke softly.

Namjoon's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I didn't have to think twice. (F/n) and Yoongi were right all along. I felt disgusted in myself for the way I treated Taehyung. He didn't deserved to be treated like that. Even if I was annoyed, I shouldn't have acted like he was just some pest. As I looked back at most of my memories with Taehyung, I always behaved like he was this annoying bug attached to my hip. He wasn't that at all. He's my little brother and I royally f*cked up. Holding his papers close, I ran up the stairs to go straight towards his room. The door was left wide open which was always a habit of Tae's when he got upset. He was too emotional to remember to close the door.

Smiling softly, I stayed near the door frame. Something in me was still hesitating on taking a peek. I needed to check on him. He always follows me around, but I'm too dumb to realize it's because he cares about me. I'm practically the only family he's got. Our parents are never around when they're too busy getting people from around the world to invest in their company. I know that they formed a successful company from the ground up, but sometimes I could never understand why they basically abandoned their two children. They left me to raise Taehyung...and I'm doing a sh*t job at it. I look back down at his papers that I've accidentally put dents in already.

_Kim Taehyung_

_My hero is my big brother, Kim Namjoon. He's the best big brother in the entire world. He is my hyung who takes care of me when my parents can't which is a lot of the time. He's the person I see most often and I bet most people would get annoyed. But seeing my hyung every day makes me happy. He's the top student at his school, very tall, and very handsome. I hope to become like my hyung someday because he's really passionate. He's very creative and used to only show me his work. It wasn't until recently that he's started sharing it with his friends. Hyung used to not have friends. He used to always lock himself in his room and study. I didn't know if it was because our parents told him too or because he had no one to go to. I would always invite Hyung to play with Jimin and I so he wouldn't be lonely. As the days go by, I see hyung continuing to grow up with me. Though I'm younger than him, I still feel very proud of him when he accomplishes new things. He smiles more and that makes me smile. Hyung isn't an invincible hero which I love. He's human and that's what makes him special. He's clumsy and awkward. Sometimes he tries to cook for me even though he sucks at it. The house almost burned that one time. I appreciate the effort in the end. He always remembers the things I forget. If I ever need anything, I always go to my hyung. He's the most reliable person I know. He helps me with my homework and buys me snacks. I'm so lucky to have someone as amazing as him as my older brother. It's not every day you get to be related to your hero :)_

I chuckled softly at the fact that he mentioned the fire. That was actually a scary experience. I really believed we were going to die in flames. It made me terrified because I was Taehyung's age at the time. Thirteen cooking a meal for a hungry ten year old. We've been relying on each other for a long time. I smiled again when I read the end of the paper. Though the smiley face is cute, I'm going to have to tell him there are no smiley faces allowed in proper essays. On the other paper, I read what I assumed was lyrics to a song. It was a song I've never heard before in my entire life. I liked what the song was saying though. It must be Taehyung's writing then. I smiled to myself, feeling pride.

Folding the paper, I finally make myself peek my head in to see Taehyung lying flat on his bed. His face was shoved in a pillow and I'd be lying if I said I felt numb to it. Stepping inside the room, I tried to be quiet and obviously failed. I almost slipped on a toy laying out and made a lot of noise. My long limbs were all over the place. I bumped into his desk and almost fell on my back. It could have been a bigger disaster had I not regained my balance just in time. For a quick moment, I was going to slip and tell Taehyung to clean his room. Then I remembered...I'm his brother. Not his parent. And it's not like my room is any better.

"Get out." Taehyung's voice was muffled through his pillow.

"Tae...I read your paper." I sat down on the bed next to him. Carefully, I placed my hand on his back, but he recoiled. He scooted away from me and refused to lift his face from his pillow. "It's well written."

"I know!" Taehyung huffed.

"...I'm sorry, Taehyung. I shouldn't have yelled at you or shoved your paper back in your face. You deserve more respect than that." I sighed as it finally came out. I shouldn't be beating around the bush. Taehyung remained still as he listened to me come clean. "I'm sorry for all the times I made you feel like I hated you. I don't hate you. I...l-love you and I wouldn't want anyone else as my little brother. Not Jimin or Jungkook."

"...really?" Taehyung slowly let one of his eyes stare back into mine. I nodded my head, my dimples showing as I stroked his hair to comfort him. His pillow was wet with tears. Then his eyes were red and puffy because of me. I don't want to be this type of big brother or person to Taehyung. The one who breaks his heart time and time again. All he's ever done is give me his heart, but I clearly didn't see the importance.

"You're the little brother I was excited to have. I still remember when Eomma and Appa first introduced us. You had barely woken up, moving around, and ruining the bundle Eomma put you in." I chuckled at the old memory that I hadn't thought of in a long time. It was a bit faded. I was young, only four years old at the time. "I remember I shook your hand and you wouldn't let go...I got upset but got over it. And then I kissed your forehead because Eomma told me to. But it formed a habit for me when I was young and when you were a baby."

"Is that how...?" Taehyung lifted himself up from his bed. He sniffled as he jumped off his bed. He ran to his desk to grab a purple picture frame. He took the photo out, crawling over to me and showed me the old picture. A tiny me kissing an even smaller Tae. "Is that it?"

"That's it." I laughed. Taehyung even chuckled himself, wiping his nose with his arm. It was Taehyung's favorite photo and I never knew why. He insisted on always keeping it in his room instead of leaving it downstairs with the rest of the photos. Now I could see why with the way he smiled at it. His square smile coming back on his face. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, taking him by surprise. Though I'm awkward like he said, he also said he appreciates the effort. I kissed Taehyung's forehead and I couldn't ignore the heavy blush on my face. "I'm sorry again..."

"Hyung." Taehyung lifted his head to look me in the eyes. "I'm too old for kisses now." He wiped his forehead and my heart almost fell.

"What do you mean you're too old!? I-I, what!?" I swallowed hard. He has no idea how much energy it took me just to kiss his forehead! Too old? That's what pure bullsh*t sounds like! Taehyung is still very young. I frowned while Taehyung only laughed and hugged me.

"Thank you, Hyung," He mumbled. "But it's true. I'm getting my growing pains and Hoseok hyung even told me that my voice is getting deeper. I'm growing!"

"Well, I'm gonna beat up Hoseok hyung after this. You're not growing up." I held him tight. I didn't know I would be this upset to hear him say things like that. The thought of him growing up almost made me emotional. Resting my chin on top of his head, I could feel him laugh. "You're still a baby to me. You're my moonchild. The same one in the photo."

"I'm happy we can do the contest together, Hyung. Let's work hard." Taehyung sighed peacefully. "I want to be a good vocalist."

"I know you'll be an amazing vocalist," I muttered. "And what's that song you wrote?"

"It's called 4 O'Clock. If we ever get the chance, I'd like to perform it with you," Taehyung said happily.

"Of course, Tae." I squeezed him tighter. "I even think I have a rap fit for it too."

"Oh and hyung?"

"Hm?"

"I'd like you to sing with me if we do ever perform it."

"We'll discuss that later."

I patted his back. I wasn't going to ruin the mood by telling Taehyung I'm more of a shower singer than a real one, but I let him win. Singing doesn't sound too bad if I'm doing it for him. (F/n) wasn't in the room with me, but I'm thankful towards her. She got me closer to my little brother. It's a good thing I've learned my lesson now too. Taehyung and I continued hugging without realizing that we had company. On the other side of the wall were our friends listening in. Hoseok and Jimin holding each other, close to crying from our emotional moment. Yoongi giving Jungkook a hug and (F/n) smiling to herself. Proud that we were finally going to get along without problems.


	27. Dance Practice

Ch.27

"It's one, two, three, AND four. Remember the 'and'!" Hoseok shouted. He was mainly shouting at Namjoon and Yoongi who were dancing behind him. The two boys were panting and questioning if they were being verbally abused.

Hoseok was going through the dance counts he planned for the song the two rappers were working on. It was a little more choreograph heavy than the two rappers anticipated. They were sweating in their school uniforms profusely. Namjoon was begging for a break but was already grabbing his water bottle and sitting down. All of you were outside near the field. Since you guys didn't have a proper dance space, you guys improvised with using the open space out here. There were also large windows that acted as mirrors so Hoseok could see every little mistake his friends made. It's a good thing you weren't a rapper or else you would have to learn this.

Currently, you were sitting on the sidelines as they ran through it again. The boys and you had eaten lunch quickly. There was no time for slacking. They had to get themselves used to working together before they audition for the contest. The preteens could already dance really well and their teamwork was smooth. It left Hoseok impressed but working with his rap team was a little rougher than he wished. Namjoon took a long time to memorize the choreography. Hoseok also kept yelling the word 'stiff' at him. Yoongi was a different story for the dancer. It's not like Yoongi was a bad dancer. He was surprisingly good at it. He was only a bit lazy and hardly ever went full out.

"Stop marking the dance, Yoongi." Hoseok narrowed his eyes on the delinquent through the window. Yoongi sighed heavily, removing his uniform blazer.

"I'm not...doing whatever you just said." Yoongi rolled his shoulders before cracking his neck.

"Okay. I think I got it!" Namjoon set down his water excitedly. He stared at his reflection through the window before mumbling the counts under his breath. One, two, three, four. "L-Like that?"

"Namjoon...do you really know how to count?" Hoseok's hands began to tremble as he raised them near Namjoon's neck. The president only furrowed his brows, not understanding his friend's question. Yoongi pulled Hoseok away before things completely went out of hand.

You only shook your head at the circus show. While they practiced, you've been in touch with the owners of Midnight Measure and the MC. You've been telling them about letting a new rookie group perform. Normally, the boys could have performed during an open mic night and that would have been fine. The only difference you wanted was for people to know they were going to perform. You wanted some sort of hype around them rolling around. RM, Suga, and J-Hope. Hoseok decided he was going to use his dance nickname as his rapper one too. He felt it showed where he came from. He also wanted to bring a hopeful side to the rappers.

At the moment, Namjoon and Yoongi looked like they were suffering because of Hoseok. It was going to be alright. Even with Namjoon and Yoongi struggling, they got the moves down perfectly in the end. You finished typing out an email to Midnight Measure. It was going to be like a mini concert. A test run for the boys to see if they were ready to audition for the contest. The email was long, saying you would like them to do some slight advertisement. You would create a poster and the boys would provide their music. All you needed from Midnight Measure was their stage and for the boys to practice a bit on it before they perform.

Midnight Measure was slightly interested in the offer. You'd be lying if you said you weren't surprised. Turns out the MC is a fan of Yoongi and Namjoon. He's taken a liking to their material. He's impressed with their age too. It's a good thing he's a co-owner. Another thing that worked out in your favor was your connection to Yoongi's fanboys. It seemed like everything ran on connections. The fanboys were well respected and promised to do the promoting at Midnight Measure. Most of the work would be getting done for them in the end. They were going to have a hard time saying no to this. Hopefully things go as planned.

"Ten minutes before lunch ends," You shouted. You were keeping your eye on the time so Hoseok could put all his focus on teaching the two the dance. Hoseok thanked you before yelling at the boys to take it from the top. No mistakes allowed this time. This put a lot of pressure on them, but you had faith in them. Pressing play for the demo music, you watched the three stand in their formation. The demo was only a minute long yet the choreography was a lot. It was amazing to watch, but it was completely killer to the two inexperienced rappers. They finished without making any mistakes though.

"H-Hoseok, we have a problem." Namjoon closed his eyes, panting heavily. "We can't do this dance for our song."

"Why not?" Hoseok frowned.

"It's too much. We're going to be rapping and we need the breath support," Yoongi stated. "We're not going to sound good if we're struggling to get a single word out."

"...seriously?" Hoseok pouted at the news. He kicked the ground, seeing how bad Yoongi and Namjoon felt for his hard work being tossed aside. They just couldn't ignore the fact that it would be near impossible.

"Try rapping and dancing it full out," Namjoon suggested. Hoseok tensed up, still feeling awkward whenever he rapped. He felt like he was getting judged every time he tried. Namjoon and Yoongi were pretty accepting though. They saw a lot of potential in him and he sounded good to you too. The two rappers were already trying to get Hoseok to join in on writing and producing music. It seems like Hoseok is extremely talented. And he still refuses to admit it. What a shame.

"Rap my part?" Hoseok pointed to himself.

"Who else's?" Yoongi chuckled. "Do the part you wrote for us. It's pretty good. I mean, the structure is the same for all verses, but I told you how to—"

"Own the lines. Yeah, no, yeah. I-I got this." Hoseok shook his body out. You hovered your finger over the play button when Namjoon freaked out. The four of you had gotten the attention of school staff. You guys have been avoiding them like the plague. Yoongi looked up to see a certain pair of eyes watching them from the third floor building. Principal Yoo. The four of you quickly packed your things and parted ways to your last class. All of you will meet again after school as always. Yoongi wouldn't stop cussing under his breath. Namjoon was laughing and Hoseok was cheering that he didn't have to rap. You only grinned to yourself, wondering how the preteens were practicing on their own.

*~*

The middle schoolers were working hard at their own practice. They were working towards perfecting a specific choreo Hoseok had made up. It wasn't to any music. The only thing that allowed the boys to know their timing was correct was the sound of their feet. Their feet would have to play the beat for them. It played a song that went along with their breathing. It was fast, but the boys could manage. It was very convenient to have all the preteens be extremely talented in dancing. Jimin carried enough experience from taking lessons weekly that Taehyung occasionally crashed and followed along. Then Jungkook was naturally athletic and made sure to be good at whatever he found a passion in.

All the boys wanted to participate in the contest for fun. It was just another silly idea of theirs. The most Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin wanted were to perform in front of many. They pictured it to be thrilling and fun. Other than that, they had no real purpose for doing the concert. That's what they believed at first. The longer all of them worked hard towards the contest, they began to feel different towards the competition. Jimin wanted to improve his singing as he felt unconfident with it but knew he could do well with practice. Taehyung wanted to make sure his dancing was as good as Jungkook and Jimin's. Lastly, Jungkook felt a fire inside of him every time he practiced with his friends.

"I did it wrong!" Jimin whined. Sweat was forming on his forehead and his hair was damp from it all. He shoved his fingers in his hair, frustrated that he couldn't get his body to move the way he wanted it to. He needed it to be perfect. Even if his voice wasn't everything, he wanted to give the best performance.

"It wasn't wrong, Jiminie." Taehyung tried laying his hand on his friend's back. It was quickly swatted away.

"It was though! It was!" Jimin bit his lip. He wouldn't settle for anything less than perfect. He could see it in the reflection. The tiniest mistakes would scream at him. Unlike the two other boys, Jimin knew how cruel the dance world could be. He stood in front of the mirror for hours and danced until his entire body would ache. Though he was confident in his contemporary and modern dance, b-boying was something he was still trying to get the hang of.

"Show us what you did wrong." Jungkook put his hands on his hips.

"What?" Jimin frowned.

"Do it again," Jungkook ordered.

"I don't want my body getting used to doing it wrong!" Jimin huffed. The baby chick could be scary when angry. Even Taehyung flinched at his friend's raised voice. He wanted to help too, but he didn't know what he could do. Jimin was stuck on his faults and it was hard to take him out when he fell into those moods. So when Jimin heard Jungkook making that request of him, the baby chick could have cursed at the bunny for speaking utter nonsense.

"Again." Jungkook waited. Jimin attempted to calm himself down by breathing out through his nose. It sort of helped. It also made him look more terrifying to the puppy who now had his tail between his legs. Jimin stared at the maknae again with a small scowl. Though Jungkook used to be shy and easily afraid, he's quickly grown out of that. Dancing and improving his singing has made him more confident. He feels like he's found his place. Jungkook believed Jimin would find it too once he got over his wall of insecurity. Jimin begrudgingly began at the part where he was sure he had messed up on. Taehyung and Jungkook watched carefully. They could see where Jimin was coming from, but it could be easily fixed. "Slowly, like this."

"I know what it's supposed to look like, Genius." Jimin crossed his arms.

"Hey! Let's not be mean to each other!" Taehyung screamed at the top of his lungs. He said it louder than he needed to. It got his point across though. Jungkook had stepped closer to Jimin, almost about to say something mean in response. Their behavior was unacceptable to the fun-loving puppy. "Hoseok hyung always tells us the importance of teamwork! We're a crew. We're a group! Dancing is about community and we're all going to be sharing a stage together to make an amazing performance. We can't let them down because one of us can't get a dumb tiny move right! Hoseok hyung works hard to make these dances and teaches it well to us. Yoongi hyung loses sleep composing and so does my own hyung! I live with him and see how much this means to him. I've never seen hyung so happy and stressed at the same time! And don't forget that noona is also giving each of us her all!"

"Tae..." Jimin felt stupid now. Jungkook was feeling the same heavy weight on his own shoulders. The both of them were dripping with guilt. They knew their hyungs worked hard, but they didn't live with them. They didn't see everything that Taehyung got to experience.

"You know my hyung, Jimin. He used to not have a single friend for years! He would come home and lock himself in his room to study. Music was the only thing that gave him joy, but he kept it to himself. Now he's having fun with his friends and he's happy to work with me towards his dreams. I'm not going to let hyung down or myself!" Taehyung puffed out his cheeks. "I'm having a lot of fun doing this. I want to work hard for every single hyung who gives us their blood, sweat, and tears! So do the same, but please don't act stupidly or react pointlessly. You're not getting anything done by whining."

"That's harsh..." Jungkook mumbled. Taehyung quickly growled in response. Did the bunny not listen to the last part!? "Hey! I get it...sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I want to make Hobi hyung proud." Jimin sniffled, growing teary eyed.

"Oh don't cry!" Taehyung rushed to wipe his friend's tears away. It was more him shoving his finger in his friend's eye though.

"You're not helping!" Jimin made sure to wipe his own eyes.

"Let's start from the top again and this time, we have fun. Yeah?" Jungkook bounced into formation. Taehyung nodded his head enthusiastically and looked over at Jimin. The baby chick got into position with them. He was the one in charge of counts, but Taehyung and Jungkook were quickly getting the hang of it. Jungkook had his mind completely focused on the choreography with Jimin keeping the counts in mind. Taehyung was bouncing on his feet, more relaxed than the others when he heard feet scrape against the concrete. He looked over his shoulder suspiciously, but there was nothing there. Nothing, but green grass and a wire fence. Taehyung stared for a few seconds and eventually shrugged. Must be his imagination.

*~*

The Kim Household turned more into place to prepare for the concert than anything else. Namjoon figured that after the whole incident with his brother, no more tutoring. He believed in all of you. He was confident you guys would do fine on the testing anyway. If you guys ever needed help, he would be right there. Everyone was liking this set up a lot more. No one wanted to continue doing math after school ended. You were finally doing better and understanding everything Mr. Kim taught so you were fine with the tutoring getting cancelled. Besides, you'd rather focus on setting everything up for the boys.

Speaking of that, all six of the boys decided that they wanted to go by BTS. As long as they had a name for you to put on a poster. You asked them if that was their final decision since it was important. It was what everyone was going to know them as from then on. All of them were quiet, but Namjoon assured you that those three letters would come to mean something so much more in the future. Once he said that, you went on your laptop to design posters and inform Midnight Measure of the name they were going by. BTS was going to change everything that people usually expected of idols.

Yoongi brought some of his producing equipment over. He followed Namjoon to his room since the president had his own small set up. The two were working on making official instrumentals for them to record their voices on. At the beginning, they brought Hoseok up with them so he could learn. They were dead set on making Hoseok one of them. It was overwhelming for the boy who's traditionally a dancer, but he did his best to adapt. He worked with them on some of them and made some of the catchiest hooks Namjoon and Yoongi ever heard. He was fitting in just right.

Meanwhile the hyungs did this, Jungkook was going over vocal warmups with Taehyung and Jimin. All of them were in the living room. They wanted to make sure their singing voices improved. You listened to them as you worked on your computer. Hearing their voices was pleasant to the ears. Jimin carried the lightest voice of them all. It was gentle and sweet. Jungkook's voice was the most stable out of all of them. He knew how to touch in with his emotional side. His voice was melodic and moving. Then there was Taehyung. His voice was drifting off into a lower tone than all the others. When he sang, it was breathy and soulful. It was calming and beautiful.

"Er—that was too high." Taehyung cleared his throat with embarrassment. His voice had cracked again in front of his friends. Jungkook and Jimin found it hilarious, not hesitating to playfully pick on their friend. Taehyung's voice was becoming deeper at a rapid pace as time passed. Jimin and Jungkook's voices were more gradual as they lowered. That's why Taehyung got to be the butt of the joke all the time.

"Yikes." Jungkook snickered.

"Maybe drink a glass of water?" Jimin stifled his laughter. He wasn't doing a good job at it though. No matter how hard he bit his lips, the corners were raising higher. Soon he broke out and his eyes turned into lines as he bent over.

Taehyung pursed his lips at his friend's reactions. They were troubling him a bit. You quickly began to type up a question on your computer related to boys singing and going through puberty. Results came fast, most of them telling you that they should keep practicing no matter what. A break won't help them at all. Puberty will actually be a blessing to Taehyung's voice to help it mature. The puppy walked into the kitchen with you to get himself a glass of water. He moved around silently, his face still feeling warm. You sighed as you closed your laptop. Puberty was giving him a rough time, but you knew he would be fine.

"Your voice is beautiful, Tae," You commented. The puppy almost spilled his water at your words. He licked his lips, trying to act natural. You giggled as you watched him turn around to face you with big eyes.

"Y-You really mean that, Noona?" Taehyung asked.

"Of course." You nodded with a large smile. The puppy seemed a bit unconvinced and you knew why. "Listen, Tae. I know you're going through puberty and—"

"Gross. Don't say that." Taehyung scrunched his face in disgust.

"Namjoon told me you were acknowledging it!" You laughed as he shrugged. "Well, as I was saying! You're going through puberty. You're growing taller and your voice is changing. At the moment, your voice changing is the one causing you the most problems."

"...It's all over the place, Noona. It's like I have no control over it." Taehyung went to take a seat right next to you. He set down his glass and pulled out a chair. He let his body fall on the wooden seat, tired of the teasing.

"Your voice is getting very deep. I think that will make your singing incredibly powerful." You booped his nose. "And guess what? I looked it up and it told me singing boys going through puberty will be fine. It will pass, Taehyung. Just keep working hard and your voice will blossom." You assured him to see that adorable boxy smile of his. He giggled to himself, enjoying how warmly you treated him.

"Thank you, Noona." Taehyung bounced in his seat. "Hey Noona, can I tell you something?"

"What is it, Tae?" You smiled.

"I really hope you date my hyung. It'd be really nice to have you as my sister-in law." Taehyung jumped out of his seat. Before you could say anything, the boy ran off to his friends. That sneaky puppy! He left your face feeling like it was on fire. He wants you to date Namjoon? It wasn't anything new for you to hear, but it still left you feeling weird all over. Namjoon is your friend! All of them are your friends. You have no idea who you're defending yourself to. Sighing, you smacked your cheeks with your hands in hopes of pulling yourself together. Taehyung is still a bit young and doesn't quite understand how love works. You're young yourself too. The only thing you know for sure is that you don't get to choose who you fall for. So far, you're in the clear. Though you might not be safe forever.

By the time Taehyung returned to his friends, all their hyungs came downstairs. It was time to work on dancing together. Hoseok was clapping his hands as he led everyone outside to Namjoon's backyard. The rappers were already stretching their arms. The middle schoolers ran outside and began doing their own quick stretches. You stood up to go watch them practice. Hoseok was the only one not stretching but admiring his students. The three youngest were already showing the dance they had been practicing earlier today. They left their hyung greatly impressed, getting praise and encouragement. Yoongi and Namjoon looked a bit intimidated by their dongsaengs though.

Hoseok was ready to get everyone dancing. He even pulled you into the dance, saying he needed that seventh body to make the formations work. You did your best to keep up. You would say your level of dancing was the same as Yoongi's. The only difference with you was that you were able to go full out without being told. Yoongi was a little more timid to do so. He knew he couldn't afford to be lazy anymore with all the effort being put in to make this happen. Everyone was following the choreography Hoseok taught, making him extremely proud. It felt like a dream come true to him.

You eventually had to tap out for a second. You needed water or else you were going to die. With a dry throat and aching legs, you entered Namjoon's house again. Before you had a chance to step foot in the kitchen, someone knocked on the front door. God d*mn it! Water was all you needed! Dragging your feet over to the front door, you opened it without a second thought. The face you were greeted to was the one you were expecting. A handsome friendly face, ready to pick up their nephew. Seokjin greeted you as he came in. You told him that Jungkook was outside and vanished to get water already. Seokjin was a bit surprised when he saw you entering the kitchen in the blink of an eye.

It's not like you could help it. You spent a good while in the kitchen just drinking water. Two glasses of water to be exact. Though dancing with the boys was fun, the idea of performing on stage continued to make you feel sick. You just didn't feel the passion there. It was something you've been thinking of bringing up to them. You'd much rather handle all the technical things for them like booking them spots to perform, publicizing them, and things of those aspects. There was something more rewarding with helping them all accomplish their dreams. Setting down your empty cup, you went to go check up on the boys.

During the entire time you were in the kitchen, they managed to rope Seokjin to act as a body in your place. Seokjin was doing a lot better than you. That's mainly because you didn't want to be on stage dancing with them. You preferred watching them. Jungkook looked so happy to have his uncle dancing alongside him. Seokjin's stamina has gone up since last time. It looks like Jungkook's hard work of constantly teaching Seokjin has paid off. You also knew that Seokjin wanted to get closer with Jungkook and be loved by his nephew. That's why he was going this far to make his nephew happy. Not many uncles would go this far.

"Ah, this is so tiring...but the song is catchy. I've never heard it before. Is it from some new idol group?" Seokjin panted, bending over to catch his breath. His three students looked at each other in silence. They weren't so sure they wanted to reveal the truth to a teacher. Not even Seokjin.

"Something like that," Namjoon mumbled. Yoongi snickered while Hoseok quickly changed the subject.

"Who knew someone as old as our hyung still had it in him!" Hoseok laughed.

"I am not old!" Seokjin growled.

"Yeah, Hyung isn't old at all. Hyung is just..._seasoned_." Yoongi raised his brow as if what he said could have been potentially any better. Seokjin sighed but regained his energy once his eyes landed on Jungkook.

"I want to do it again! You look so cool when you go full out with us!" Jungkook tugged on Seokjin's sleeve. The teacher couldn't stop grinning. He would be willing to do it a hundred times over for this little boy.

"You really got the moves, Sir!" Taehyung giggled.

"You're less stiff than last time too." Jimin nodded.

"Alright, one more time. Then we can call it a night." Namjoon clapped his hands.

All of them agreed, getting into position. Seokjin just moved into formation with them. It was just one more time. It's also not like he had a choice. Once the boys had him dancing, they refused to let him have a break. The song began to play and it sounded a lot better the original demo version you heard. The boys moved along to the music, trying their best to act as if they were performing live with a backing track. The first years rapped and the seventh graders sang. Seokjin seemed to have gotten the song stuck in his head. You grinned to even hear him sing along. It was perfect. Seeing them all perform together looked so much better. You knew at this moment that you couldn't perform with them. As the song was near the end, you stepped outside when it happened.

"Hyung!" Jimin screamed in panic. Hoseok had fallen over during a quick movement. All the boys began to crowd around Hoseok. You felt your heart rate quicken. Right away, you shut off the music and pushed yourself into the circle to see what was happening. Hoseok was lying on his back, tightly holding his ankle.

"What's wrong with Hobi hyung?" Taehyung looked at his older brother.

"Does it hurt?" Jungkook questioned.

"Everyone, let's give him some space." Seokjin brought the children away.

"You okay, man?" Yoongi crouched down as Hoseok sat himself up. The dancer scrunched his face, trying to suppress his groans.

"Yeah, it just hurts a bit. I'm fine though. I'll walk it off." Hoseok waved off their concern. Namjoon gave Hoseok a hand to grab, his two friends pulling him up to a standing position. Hoseok smiled at everyone to let them know he was fine. They relaxed slightly while you weren't buying it. Namjoon still called everything off after what just happened. While they all got busy talking, you silently watched Hoseok wince as he put pressure on his ankle. He couldn't walk on it without feeling pain. You immediately went up to him, seeing the fear in his eyes. It was a problem.

"You're not okay."


	28. The Popular Boy

Ch.28

Forget Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi being the most stubborn people you've ever met. They have never reached the same level as Jung Hoseok. This boy is something else! He's lucky he's already hurt or you would have given him a piece of your mind. The problem is that he doesn't want to acknowledge that his ankle hurting is an issue. He keeps insisting that he needs to walk it off or sleep on it. The second you confronted him about it, he did everything he could to get you away from him. He didn't want anyone talking about his little fall anymore. You didn't understand why he was trying so hard to make everyone forget it even happened.

Seokjin took Jungkook home but brought Jimin along with him. He was going to drop off the boy at his parent's convenience store. Since those three were gone, the day was coming to a close. Namjoon began helping Taehyung with his homework and Yoongi was packing up his equipment. That left Hoseok and you to go home. Your eyes narrowed on Hoseok who behaved as if everything was okay. He waved goodbye to the boys as he made his way to the door. Hoseok can't act dumb for long. You see the limp he's now walking with. He's avoiding putting pressure on his right ankle so much. The popular boy was even using things around him to help him get forward.

Nope. You're not letting this continue. Hoseok stepped outside after what took him forever. He sighed until he saw you storming your way over to him. He gasped, quickly trying to shut the door in your face. That's not happening! You fought to keep it open so you could follow him out. Unfortunately for him, Hoseok only had one leg he could truly balance on. While trying to escape from you, he only ended falling onto Namjoon's lawn. Closing the door behind you, you quickly rushed to him. He only grew frustrated with you more when he tried pushing your hands off of him. You're only trying to help him up! Hoseok turned on his stomach and tried crawling away.

"Jung Hoseok! Get the f*ck over here!" You grabbed his good leg, pulling him closer to you.

"Let me go! I'm going home!" Hoseok shouted.

"Like hell you are! We are going to get your ankle checked!" You yelled.

"Cha (F/n), it's fine! Leave me alone! We have to focus on the contest. I'm f*cking fine!" Hoseok huffed as he kicked his leg out of your grip.

You knew what this was all about. Hoseok wouldn't be putting this much of a fight up if it weren't for the contest. If he gets told by a doctor that he can't dance for a couple weeks, he might lose it. But what Hoseok doesn't understand is that he'll make things a hundred times worse if he doesn't treat it properly. Hoseok has his mind set on the contest just like everyone else. Resting sounded like he was giving up on his dream. If he didn't give it his all throughout the entire process, he felt they wouldn't make it. You understood his worries and his fears. Except you had to take charge of the boys. Like with how you take care of Yoongi with packing him lunches, you'll make sure Hoseok gets proper care for his injury.

"I'm not sorry!" You jumped the male.

"Cha (F/n)!" Hoseok hissed. You had him trapped on the ground since you were sitting on his back. The male growled at your persistent presence. The fox underneath tried his best to sneak away from you. He couldn't escape now, the fox trapped under your weight. This was the only way. Digging your arms under his, you pulled him up with all your strength. He was heavy, but he luckily started carrying some of his own weight. He stood on his good leg and that's when you took the chance to drag him. Hoseok freaked out, not wanting to fall over again. He kept his arm around your shoulder while you held him tightly by the waist now. Hoseok wouldn't stop frowning and telling you to slow down. There's no way you're letting that happen. He had no choice but to keep up with you. That's when he noticed the direction you were taking him in. To the bus stop. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no!"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" You smiled to see the bus arriving just in time. It slowed down, driving past Hoseok and you to come to a complete halt. Perfect. Hoseok began struggling more as you got closer to the bus. Sometimes, things took brute force. You threw him into the bus and quickly hopped in, telling the driver to just start driving again. Hoseok was shaking his head profusely as you paid for the both of you. He groaned when he heard the doors close and the bus begin to move again. "Come on, Hoseok. Let's find ourselves seats."

"You're a lot crazier than I would have ever thought!" Hoseok remarked as you picked him up. You grinned at him, bringing him to the closest open seats.

"It's because I care." You pinched his cheek. A bit roughly.

"A-Ah! Stop that!" Hoseok moved his face away from you. With a big pout, the male rubbed his cheek. He was upset at everything at the moment. Not only at you for dragging him onto the bus and for all the crap you just put him through, but...also at himself. Hoseok's eyes lowered down to his right ankle. He could feel it throbbing. It hurt. More than he wanted to admit. He messed up during one of the hopping foot work section's he created. He's supposed to be center during that part and then he injured himself. The sunshine felt clouds hanging over his head. They were greying as the bus ride continued, giving him a cloudy and lost expression.

Whenever you were on the bus, you would always look out the window and listen to music. This time you couldn't do both. You couldn't get your eyes off the sad boy next to you. Though you were only looking at him through the corner of your eyes. His eyes looked stormy as he stared down at his feet. It hurt you to see Hoseok looking this way. He was always bubbly and friendly. But Hoseok was human and had his moments when his warmth would disappear. You slowly grabbed his hand to comfort him. Hoseok slowly looked over to stare at your eyes. He gave you a tiny smile before it slipped away. He sighed before resting his head on your shoulder.

"You're so short." Hoseok whined as he readjusted himself. You rolled your eyes until you felt him make you lean against his shoulder. You smiled to feel him rest his head against yours. "Much better."

"Glad I could be of service." You sighed peacefully. Hoseok gave your hand a squeeze and you squeezed it back. You giggled when you realized he wasn't going to stop squeezing any time soon. Be that way. You held his hand as tightly as you could during the entire ride over to the hospital. There was a small checkup clinic attached the main hospital for more important cases. It's just that this clinic was open 24 hours unlike all the other ones around town. Most of them should be closing around this time. It's only six, but you don't really know how serious Hoseok's ankle injury could be.

When Hoseok and you got off the bus, you could see any light of positivity leave him. He seemed to really hate looking at the hospital. He looked paler as you helped him walk closer. Though the two of you were heading towards the clinic, Hoseok's eyes kept wandering over to the hospital. Did he believe he would need more serious care? You would hope not. You continued to carry a majority of Hoseok's weight all the way over to the clinic doors. It was extremely tiring, but Hoseok was trying his best to make you do less work. It's not like he could walk perfectly fine by himself. Hoseok quickly took a seat in the waiting room while you went up to the counter to make a checkup appointment for your friend.

The receptionist put Hoseok down on the list and told you just wait patiently. A doctor would come call your friend over when one was available. With that in mind, you finally let yourself relax a little bit more. Hoseok will be getting checked out shortly. He's not going to ignore his ankle anymore. Making your way over to him, you sat down next to Hoseok. He looked so uncomfortable sitting in the waiting room. He looked around the white walls. His eyes staring at the posters of smiling patients. They continued to land on the magazines for people who were bored. The only thing he refused to look at were the patients waiting with him. Parents trying to soothe their children in pain, old people repeatedly checking their clocks, and college age students who had nasty coughs or not visible issues.

"Everything okay, Hoseok?" You asked.

"...sure." Hoseok dug his nails into his knees. His strange behavior didn't fade away. It only grew increasingly worse the longer the two of you stayed.

You wrapped your arm around his shoulders in hopes of making him comfortable. Hoseok was taking short breaths which was confusing. Was he okay? Later a man with a mask took a seat next to Hoseok. The second the guy let his body down on the seat, you could feel Hoseok inch closer to you. It was fine though. You could understand Hoseok wanting his space from a stranger. Then the man sneezed loudly causing everyone in the waiting room to look over at him. Hoseok became extremely tense. He was clinging onto you now, wanting to disappear from the clinic. That's when a doctor stepped out to call someone's name.

"Jung Hoseok?" The doctor called out. Hoseok and you looked over at the doctor. He stood at the door, waiting for the two of you to follow him. His eyes were stuck on your friend who remained glued to his seat.

"Oppa! Come on." You grabbed his arm, helping him walk over to the doctor. Hoseok felt slightly more motivated to follow you. The only thing you noticed now was the fact that he didn't want to look the doctor in the eyes. You couldn't understand this boy. He spoke to the doctor but kept his head down.

"Do you want to borrow a wheelchair? My office is a bit far down," The doctor stated.

"No, it's fine." Hoseok's heart almost stopped beating at the idea of himself in a wheelchair. He was still insisting he was fine despite knowing that wasn't the case. You let out a heavy sigh, doing your best to bring him all the way to the doctor's office. It was exhausting, but you got the job done. You set down Hoseok on the examination table. While he sat on the crinkly paper, you sat in the open seat next to it. The doctor introduced himself as Dr. Im, closing the door behind him as he went to the computer to type a few things.

"So Hoseok, explain what happened with your leg," Dr. Im said.

"Uh, it's really nothing." Hoseok rubbed the back of his neck.

"He was dancing when he landed on his right foot wrong. I think he sprained his right ankle." You provided the information Hoseok was holding back on. The boy quickly turned to glare at you. Sucks for him. The doctor has to know what's going on. Dr. Im chuckled as he bent down to check Hoseok's right ankle. Hoseok was told to take off his shoe and sock for it.

"I'm assuming your girlfriend is the one who insisted on coming here." Dr. Im lightly touched Hoseok's ankle.

"She's not my—ah! Ow!" Hoseok flinched.

"He really didn't want to come here, but I forced him." You nodded. A part of you was surprised Hoseok wasn't taking the chance to call you his girlfriend. He must be pretty upset to not want to take the opportunity. Dr. Im apologized to Hoseok as he stood up.

"It's a very light sprain, but you have been making it swell by putting more pressure on it." Dr. Im went to grab a roll of compression wrap. He saw the frown on Hoseok's face and your tiny smirk. Coming here was a success after all! "I'll just wrap this up for you and get you a pair of crutches to use. With the way your sprain is, I bet it'll be good by three weeks."

"Three weeks!?" Hoseok shouted. He was moving in panic and you quickly got him to settle down. You petted him and that somehow did the trick. His breathing calmed down, making Dr. Im grateful.

"Normally sprained ankles can take up to six weeks. I'd say you got lucky." Dr. Im began wrapping Hoseok's ankle. The popular boy sighed, muttering he would be luckier if he didn't get a sprained ankle. "You're right there, I guess." The doctor shrugged. Now that things seemed to be getting taken care of, you tapped Hoseok's shoulder.

"I need to go into the bathroom, but I'll be quick." You smiled as he nodded. He watched you excuse yourself from the room. You wanted to act calmly as you left, but the second you were outside of the doctor's office you had to make a run for it. Drinking multiple glasses of water was a mistake!

Hoseok's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I watched (F/n) leave the small office. I kept a tight smile on my face due to the fact that I didn't want her to leave. (F/n) should have stayed in here with me. Now I'm all alone with Dr. Im. That was the last thing I wanted to happen. Being here felt too wrong and I never liked how it felt. It wasn't like coming to the hospital was ever a great experience. But for me, it was different. Every time I came here felt worse and worse to the point where I just wanted to stop altogether. It's not like I could though. What kind of son would I be if I stopped showing up all of a sudden?

"I didn't expect to see you come in, Hoseok." Dr. Im put away the compression wrap. He was moving things around on the counter while I felt my shoulders sink. "Everyone misses your cheerful attitude here at the hospital."

"We're in the clinic, not the hospital...and I didn't know you did clinic work." I sounded cold. Dr. Im turned around, noting my tone and expression. He had to be blind if he didn't see the change in me from the second he saw me in the waiting room.

"I do on the occasion." He shrugged. Dr. Im leaned against the counter, staring at me with a sympathetic frown. "I know you don't like coming to the hospital. It can be a bit depressing, but it's been over a month since you've visited—"

"I know. I've been busy...with things. I just—" I couldn't think straight. Dr. Im even saw in the way I worked so hard to just to not look at him.

"Busy with dance? You know she would be happy to hear that. Why don't you tell her?" Dr. Im crossed his arms. "She's been getting worried, Hoseok. You should go visit your mother."

"...I'm scared." I suddenly felt my throat get tight. Out of all the doctors at the hospital, I would say I'm the closest to Dr. Im. Having him bandage me up was terrifying. He knows my Mom and remembers how often I used to show up. Back when she was doing better and I had nothing to fear. But now, she looks skinner and paler. Her hair has become thinner and greyer. Seeing her makes me feel uneasy now which makes me feel like a cruel person. Why is it so hard to look at my Mom? She's still my Mom and I love her. It's just that seeing her like this does something to me.

Mom has been in the hospital for almost three years now. She entered when I was in ninth grade. In the beginning, I thought it was something she could have easily been treated for. Turns out her blood disease is more serious than we both thought. White blood cells are growing at a slower rate for Mom every day. Her body is struggling to fight off other diseases and infections. I strongly believed she would overcome it eventually. Now that we're nearing her third year, I'm starting to think differently. Mom doesn't carry the same strength she used to have. She's become so much weaker and she knows it. The last time I visited her, she just wanted to stare at me. Even telling me that she wants to remember it forever just in case.

It doesn't take an idiot to understand what she meant. It didn't come off as endearing to me. It left me horrified that my mother was accepting her slow loss to her battle. I didn't want her to go. I'm not ready for that yet. I haven't visited her in over a month. I'm a complete and total idiot. The clouds finally began to rain. Dr. Im grabbed a tissue for me once he saw me crying. He knew it was tough for me. He came over to give me a hug while wiping away the tears. He's always been like a father figure to me since middle school. My Dad died before I could ever meet him. He was hit by a drunk driver so now it was just my Mom and I. Maybe it won't even be us two anymore. I live in our small house all alone. A place so small now feels so empty and lonely.

"I hate to see you cry, Hoseokie." Dr. Im patted my back. "But you know I'm telling you to visit her for your own good."

"I k-know. I know." I gripped his coat tightly. I sniffled as he pulled away with a sympathetic expression. Swallowing hard, I knew what I had to do. My eyes instantly glanced over at the wheelchair that was closed up in the corner of the room. "D-Dr. Im, I need to borrow that."

Walking with crutches would take too long. Wheels would take me a lot farther. Pushing the wheels as hard as I could, I traveled all the way over to the main hospital called Kwangdong. It was hard trying not to crash into other people. In the rush of emotions, I wouldn't stop until I saw my Mom. Visiting hours were close to ending but they would make an exception for me. Hopefully Mom doesn't get scared by the wheelchair. It's just my ankle that's having a rough time.

Pushing myself up the ramp was the hardest thing I had to do. My biceps were burning at the incline. Luckily, a nurse offered to push me. I was thankful and was so happy to see it was Nurse Yang. She sometimes took care of my Mom. She was surprised to see me but was happy I was finally visiting my Mom. Since she had down time, I asked if it wasn't too much for her to take me to my Mom's room. Getting pushed around was a lot more helpful. It gave my arms a break. She brought me into an elevator and pushed the button for the floor. I was a jumble of nerves as the elevator doors opened. Nurse Yang started wheeling me down the long familiar hallway. I was already seeing old faces smiling at me.

"Thank you..." I uttered as we arrived at my mother's door. Nurse Yang bowed as she left to give me some privacy. Taking in a deep breath, I rolled into the room with no self-confidence. Nothing but shame washed over me as I felt the same shiver run down my back. Mother was fragile in her bed, reading her favorite fashion magazine. I could see her bones clearly as she moved. So frail. I frowned as I came by the side of her bed. She didn't even look at me as she stared at her magazine. "Eomma. I'm here."

"Huh? Who's there?" Mom furrowed her brows. She blinked at her magazine but still wasn't looking at me. I laughed, knowing this would happen. It was very typical of her.

"Eomma, it's Jung Hoseok. Your son," I spoke softly. Mom nodded her head until she took the words in. She dropped the magazine to see me sitting right there. "I'm sorry, Eomma."

"Hoseokie?" Mom brought up her hands to her face. She smiled, already growing teary eyed. "W-Why are you in a wheelchair? What happened?"

"I just have a sprained ankle is all." I patted her knee. Mom continued to smile at me like I was her whole world. "I was dancing when it happened."

"Oh, my little boy. With all the practice you do, I'm sure you'll become famous." Mom squished my face. She soon sighed at herself. "I'm sorry I can't pay for lessons anymore."

"Don't ever apologize, Eomma. I don't need expensive classes to dance." I grabbed her hand. Another shiver ran down my back. The UV drip was in her and I was never a fan of needles.

Mom opened her arms wide for me. Doing the best I could, I gave her a hug. One that was tight and loving. I wanted for her to know how much I loved her. We stayed like that for a long time. During the entire time I spent with my Mom, I vaguely told her about everything she's been missing. Only about school and my friends. I even mentioned (F/n) to her, but not her name. Just an old classmate who I thought was pretty and sweet to me. Mom thought it was cute until I remembered. I left (F/n) in the clinic without saying anything. Oh sh*t, she's going to beat my @ss. I panicked in my seat as I explained the situation to Mom. She laughed and told me to go find her already.

"Love you, Eomma!" I shouted as I wheeled out.

*~*~*~*

You stepped out of the bathroom feeling relieved. Thank goodness that bathroom was nearby Dr. Im's office. Walking back to his office, you saw him walking inside with another patient. Is Hoseok no longer in there? Your brows puckered at the sight. That made no sense at all. Dr. Im let the patient inside before his eyes landed on you. That's when his eyes widened. If he is shocked to see you then that's not a good thing. Did Hoseok seriously leave without you? You get he wasn't happy to be dragged here but that's a bit much. He better be in the waiting room, sitting patiently for you.

"Hoseok's girlfriend! Ah, Hoseok forgot to tell you but he's visiting his mother really quick. I'm sure you'll find him soon. I have to go now." Dr. Im waved as he entered his office.

Visiting his mother? You didn't even get a chance to ask any questions. Dr. Im went in his office and you were abandoned in the hall. Looking for Hoseok is going to be hard if he went into the hospital. You left the clinic, hearing your phone ring in your pocket. Was that Hoseok? You took it out and picked up the call right away without much thought. Who else would be calling you right now? Pausing in your steps, you sighed to yourself.

"Hoseok, where are you?" You asked.

"It's Yoongi. Min Yoongi," The boy said with a hint of annoyance. "Did you even check the caller ID?"

"No?" You felt your face heat up. "Sorry, I was with Hoseok. Now he's gone."

"I knew it." Yoongi groaned. He knew it? You stayed silent, waiting for an explanation. "I was getting all my things from Namjoon's room when I heard a bunch of screaming. I looked out the window to see you harassing Hoseok for no reason. I automatically went downstairs to see if Namjoon and Taehyung heard. Those two idiots were listening to rap music loudly, not really doing any homework. So I said my goodbyes and walked out to ask what the f*ck I had just seen. That's when I realized you guys had left."

"Oh, you saw all that?" You winced. That was a sight you were hoping not even the neighbors had to see. It must not have been pretty to look at.

"Yeah, it was f*cking weird. I just went home trying to cleanse my eyes, but I figured I'd call. Where did you two go off to?" Yoongi yawned.

"Okay, I better tell you since Hoseok certainly won't. You should tell Namjoon too so he could tell the kids. Hoseok sprained his ankle when he fell earlier and has to rest for three weeks. That means no dancing on his part," You said. Yoongi was stunned on the other side of the phone. He didn't think this would be what that fight earlier was all about. "I forced him to come get checked at the clinic. Now I've lost him, but he has his ankle wrapped up now."

"That idiot...though he's a good friend, I think he's suspiciously happy all the time." Yoongi's words made you scoff. He was completely serious though. "It's true. He either has a dark secret or he's genuinely never been through anything hard and is struggling to cope with a d*mn sprained ankle."

"Well, Yoongi..." You began to pace yourself in front of the clinic. You remembered what that doctor had said to you. Hoseok was visiting his mother. That reminded you of the old rumor that had started back in middle school. The one that you learned was started by Hoseok himself. You felt like he was using that for sympathy and to get himself more popularity. You completely forgot about that now that you've befriended him. Biting your lip, you felt ashamed of yourself. Was it true all along? "I'm an awful person."

"What? Why's that?" Yoongi's glare could be felt through the phone.

"It's an old rumor that was attached to Hoseok when we were in middle school together. I think it might be true...but I can't tell you. I'm not sure if it is and it's not really my place to say." You rubbed your arms. It was getting dark now, the wind feeling colder as well.

"I get that. I'll let you find him now and if he ditched you, I'll pick you up. Just give me a call," Yoongi said and you smiled at his sweet offer. Despite the cold exterior and the occasional mean teasing, Yoongi is a big softy.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow." You pulled your phone away to hang up. Time to find Hoseok wherever that boy might be. Or maybe you should call him first. That sounded like a better idea. This place was huge and so easy to get lost in. You went through your contacts, searching for his name until you heard heavy panting. Lifting your eyes away from your screen, you saw Hoseok rolling up to you tiredly. "H-Hoseok?"

"I...I came as...fast as I can. Ugh." Hoseok let his head fall back. That was a mistake. His chair started to go backwards by accident. Hoseok began to scream, but you were luckily there to run after him. His soul almost left his body.

Once you had Hoseok, the two of you returned the wheelchair and he got crutches instead. Those were going to work a lot better for him. The two of you slowly made your way over to the bus stop. It would be the last bus so you guys made it just in time. Since there was still time before the bus arrived, Hoseok took a seat. You decided to join him on the bench while the both of you waited. When you glanced at him through the corner of your eyes, you noted how happier Hoseok looked. He was glowing like the sun rays rising for a new morning. Wherever he went must have been good for him then. You didn't want to pry at all, but Hoseok noticed your stare. Because he left you without any notice, he felt like had to tell you his whereabouts.

"Oh, sorry for leaving you so suddenly by the way." Hoseok gave you an awkward smile. "It's just that—"

"If it's private, you don't have to tell me." You shook your head. The male nodded, but he couldn't drop it. Hoseok wanted to change for the better.

"No, please. Let me tell you," He insisted. "(F/n), I know we didn't get off to the best start. I know I must appear to be best friends with Namjoon and I am, but I feel a closer connection with you. Mainly because we used to go to the same middle school together."

"Even though we barely talked?" You joked. Hoseok laughed, shrugging as he leaned back on the bench.

"I mean, I waved at you once, but you ignored me. You looked mad and turned away." Hoseok sighed. "I think I know why...something I told my friend; he was supposed to keep it a secret."

"Secret?" Your brows jumped up. This could be about the rumor. You turned to face Hoseok who was staring straight out into the dark streets. The only lights were from streetlights and headlights from cars passing by.

"I told him because I trusted him. I told him that my mother was in the hospital and I had no idea how long she would be in there." Hoseok closed his eyes. "Then he went off telling people his own spin. Saying my Mom only had a year left and other sh*t like that. He wanted everyone thinking he was some saint for sticking by my side and wanted everyone to know he was friends with me first. That's when I realized all my friends were toxic. I didn't want to deal with people like them anymore. But I knew I couldn't stay and continue public school with them. So I studied my @ss off and decided I was going to go to Sehwang. Make something of myself and stuff..."

"So that's what happened..." You muttered to yourself. Hoseok laughed, so glad to have that off his chest. He felt so misunderstood with someone from his past still hanging around. The only place he must have felt understood was when he was street dancing.

"I was wondering if that rumor was still in your head when I saw you...It's true though. Sort of." Hoseok ran a hand through his hair. "My Mom is in the hospital, but we don't know how long she has. She can live for a month or maybe another year. There's really no t-telling..."

You looked over at Hoseok. He coughed, trying to pull himself together. It was these points in your life that you felt so grateful to have Hoseok in your life. You're glad the two of you could become friends. He's the only good person that came from your middle school. The rest of them can rot, but Jung Hoseok is pure. Hoseok was speechless when you threw your arms around him. He didn't think you were going to hug him out of the blue. He slowly smiled, wrapping his arms around you just as tight. He moved on the bench to make the hug more comfortable. In doing so, he knocked down his purple crutches, but he couldn't care less. He kissed your forehead and you let him despite feeling tempted to roll your eyes and ignore the rapid beating your heart was doing. As if it was doing flips.

"I promise I'll bounce back up in time for the contest and dance harder than everyone else," Hoseok whispered.

"I'm sure you will. There's nothing you can't do." You squished your face against his chest.

"Hey (F/n), can I sleep over at your place?" Hoseok randomly asked. You were surprised, but you didn't' mind the question at all. A sleepover? The idea didn't sound bad at all. Since your parents have been gone for so long, it feels so lonely in your house. It's not quite homey as it used to be. You'd honestly consider Namjoon's house more of a home to you at this point.

"Why not? I'd love company." You pulled away as the bus came. Its doors popped open, waiting for the two of you to get on. Hoseok stood up with his crutches and went on to pay for you and him. You had your phone out as you texted Yoongi that you found Hoseok. The both of you were now going home safely.


	29. Vocals

Ch.29

The alarm clock went off for a few second. It sat on the nightstand right next to you. Out of habit, you turned it off before it could beep anymore. Once something woke you up in the morning, you were up. There was no going back to sleep. It was a curse. But it's good for school, you suppose. You stared up at the ceiling with low energy. What if you laid in bed and did nothing for five minutes? It's not like you're going to fall back asleep again. There's no point in putting your alarm clock on snooze. Groaning, you force yourself to sit up and stretch your arms. At least that felt nice.

When you let your arms drop down, you felt something else in your bed with you. Specifically, someone else. Blinking to yourself, you slowly looked to your right to see Hoseok lightly snoring. You almost forgot he slept over. Now that you've had Yoongi sleepover, having Hoseok do the same wasn't a big deal. You guys were just friends anyway. You'rejust glad that they don't mind the giant pile of stuffed animals you have onyour bed. The only reason you were having a problem right now was because of how strange Hoseok was acting in his sleep. Was...was he petting himself? The male was stroking his chest gently and even did the same with his arms. Is he awake? You narrowed your eyes on him, absolutely addled by the sight.

"The f*ck?"

Hoseok was completely embarrassed when you woke him up. First, you nudged him so he would stop petting himself. It wasn't long before he opened his eyes. He smiled and that's when you asked him if he knew what he was doing. The boy turned bright pink when you explained what he did. Hoseok didn't want to talk about it. All he wanted to do was eat breakfast and go to school. You stifled your giggles at how he was reacting. You went along with what he wanted to do anyway. The two of you had an hour to get ready which was a good amount of time. Hoseok had slept in his school uniform while you had to change into it in your bathroom.

He was already in the kitchen, pouring himself a bowl of cereal. You told him that he could help himself to anything he wanted. Hoseok even took the liberty of making you cereal too. For once, getting ready for school was actually fun. The two of you ate and talked about the contest. It felt so nice not being alone in your house. You missed your parents but having Hoseok over filled the hole slightly. He's someone familiar from your past. It's hard to ignore that. You really regret not getting to know him in the past. When the two of you finished eating, you brought over his backpack and helped him put it on. After that, you handed him his crutches and he sighed heavily. He still wasn't a fan of his situation, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

The only thing Hoseok was looking forward to was walking without pain in his ankle. Then he would no longer need these extra limbs to help him walk. You kept at his pace during the walk over to the bus stop. He would normally walk to school from where he lives. Walking to school now seemed like a hard task. The two of you got on the bus and were greeted by the elderly woman who always took the bus. She eyed you a lot more this morning. Hoseok was uncomfortable, but you told him to just let his uniform do the talking. He's a Sehwang student.

Hoseok pretended to act snobby once you said that and you playfully smacked his shoulders. The both of you kept giggling until the bus dropped you guys off near the school. The only thing that sucked about getting to school was that Sehwang Academy sat on top of a hill. Hoseok winced, unsure of how he was going to be able to get all the way up without falling over. The castle of a school was on top of a freaking mountain. He looked around, sighing to himself. Getting on campus is going to be harder than ever before. Just as Hoseok took a step forward, a car slowed down right next to the both of you. Hoseok and you froze at the suspicious car until the window rolled down.

"Hoseok, what happened!? I thought you were fine!" Seokjin frowned.

"Uh...just a sprain." Hoseok chuckled.

"Get in the car. Going up is going to be a pain." Seokjin unlocked the passenger door.

"S-Seriously?" Hoseok grinned, going up to the door. Seokjin unlocked the back doors, allowing you to sit in the back. Hoseok sat in the front while you took the back seat. Seokjin smiled as he continued the drive up to the school's parking lot. "You're honestly the best, Hyung."

"I wouldn't say that." Seokjin shook his head modestly.

"Teacher of the year!!" Hoseok bounced in his seat. Seokjin blushed and laughed as he parked in his usual spot.

"I can pick you up for school every morning until your leg heals up." Seokjin shut off his engine. You couldn't stop staring at Seokjin with a huge smile. Hoseok's right indeed. He's the best teacher after all. Hoseok stumbled out of the car, shocked at Seokjin's generous offer. You exited the car to quickly help Hoseok keep his balance. The handsome teacher kept smiling at Hoseok, waiting for a response.

"I-I'd appreciate that a lot actually! If it's not a problem." Hoseok quickly moved in his crutches to walk alongside Seokjin. You shook your head, quietly following them.

"I wouldn't be offering if it were," Seokjin stated. Hoseok looked back at you with the biggest smile. Now he understood why Yoongi had begun calling Seokjin by 'hyung'. He might understand why you had a crush on him for the longest time. Seokjin is genuinely a nice person who is so caring to his students. The two of you walked with Seokjin all the way to his classroom. As soon as you guys were walking in the halls, Seokjin told you guys to refer to him as Mr. Kim. Hoseok and you looked at each other secretly knowing that your friend group was Mr. Kim's favorite. You guys are special and everyone else can suck it.

Yoongi was already leaning against the wall next to the door. He smiled when Mr. Kim came by to unlock the door. He bowed lightly, something that Mr. Kim didn't think twice about. Others in the hall noticed Yoongi's friendly behavior around Mr. Kim. Compared to all the other staff at school, Mr. Kim was the only teacher the delinquent bothered to bow towards. It was something you didn't even think much about. Once Yoongi saw Hoseok's crutches, he clicked his tongue. He quickly flicked Hoseok's forehead for trying to ignore his injury. Yoongi already told Namjoon about what happened. The president apparently informed the children and they were all worried. Not as much as Namjoon though according to Yoongi.

"Jung Hoseok!" A loud voice shouted. Hoseok groaned, knowing whose voice that was. Yoongi chuckled in amusement.

"It's you're fault for ignoring his calls and texts." Yoongi crossed his arms with a smirk.

"You did?" You tilted your head. Yoongi took a step back which you followed suit. A tall eagle was coming towards Hoseok, flying at the speed of a bullet. The eagle gripped his talons onto Hoseok's shoulders, making the popular boy want to shrivel up. He didn't want to be attacked like this. Hoseok scrunched his face tightly and stayed stiff with his crutches under his arms.

"Why did you act like nothing happened? What's wrong with you? Do you know you would only make it worse if you ignored it? How come—" Namjoon overwhelmed him with questions.

"Don't nag!" Hoseok frowned. "I'm sorry for not saying anything...but I promise that I'll take better care of myself."

"I hope so. You're our group's pride so don't go off doing stupid sh*t." Namjoon aggressively jabbed the center of Hoseok's chest. Yoongi silently nodded while you couldn't hide your smile. Hoseok was surprised to hear that, bringing his hand up to his chest. He could already feel it bruising with Namjoon's brute force, but he was thankful. Namjoon entered the classroom without saying anything else.

"Oh, I'm Bangtan's pride~?" Hoseok grinned, turning to face Yoongi and you.

"You're very talented, I'll admit that. But don't let it go to your head or you'll very quickly become Bantan's sh*t." Yoongi entered the classroom.

"Ouch. Okay." Hoseok looked over at you.

"Come on, let's get in." You patted his back.

Class was going how it usually did. Mr. Kim taught a new lesson and made you guys practice with problems in your textbook. After a while, he passed out a worksheet that would become homework if it wasn't finished. As always, it could be done in groups. You caught the small smile Mr. Kim gave to your group of friends. You weren't blind to this favoritism! Actually, you loved it a lot. Hoseok and Namjoon went to the back of the room to join you and Yoongi. They sat down, quickly getting comfortable like they always did.

Yoongi and you did the worksheet together. It was possible to finish it before the class ended so you guys wanted a head start on it. Soon Hoseok noticed and thought that was a good idea. He put writing lyrics to the side, catching up with the both of you. The only one still writing lyrics was Namjoon. His eyes remained glued to his green notebook. None of you worried much about him though. Namjoon's a genius and he'll be able to finish the worksheet in five minutes. It's not a problem for him. The three of you eventually finished the worksheet when there was ten minutes to spare. You figured at this time, Namjoon would get the worksheet out of the way.

"Listen to the instrumentals. All we gotta do is record." Yoongi passed an earbud to Hoseok. The two moved their heads along to the music. You could tell just by their faces that they were feeling the song. Hoseok looked super excited and Yoongi was proud. Hours of hard work into composing these songs. He picked up Hoseok's lyrics, reading them over with a smile. Hoseok was embarrassed and admitted he's rewritten it over six times.

"I just can't seem to get it right." Hoseok sighed, still moving his head along to the instrumentals.

"Well, I think you got it right this time." Yoongi put the lyrics down. Hoseok straightened his posture in his seat, his eyes lighting up instantly.

"You think so!?" Hoseok had trouble hiding his excitement. Those two continued talking about their music.

A lot of progress has happened with the collaboration of these three boys. They've got more songs written than they ever had alone. Each of them strongly believed it was thanks to one another. Inspiration was unending when they worked together. A lot of their songs were out of demo mode. Most of them just needed their voices recorded which the boys were planning to do today after school. Your eyes drifted over to Namjoon who still had his nose deep in his notebook. He had earbuds in with his phone out on the table. Sometimes he would play the music and mumble his lyrics. Depending if he liked them or not, he would cross things out or continue.

"Namjoon, are you gonna work on your worksheet?" You nudged his arm. He lifted his head up, not expecting to be disturbed. He took out an earphone, staring at you with wide eyes.

"Hm? What'd you say?" Namjoon quietly blinked at you.

"Aren't you going to do your homework now? That way you don't have to worry about it later and we get more time after school?" You suggested as he bit his bottom lip. Namjoon shrugged, his expression already telling you that he wasn't interested in doing anything school related at the moment.

"Ah, no. It's not a problem for me...I'll finish it later." Namjoon waved off your worry. He gave you a smile, indirectly telling you that he had things under control. Whatever he says then. Namjoon returned to his notebook while you glanced at your own phone. The MC informed you that they would be having an open mic tomorrow night. Maybe that can be a test run for the rap line of BTS. Just a little teaser to get a crowd hyped up for their mini concert that was set up towards the middle of winter break.

The bell eventually rang for class to let out. All of you packed your things, planning to meet up outside again for lunch. Even though Hoseok can't dance, that doesn't mean Yoongi and Namjoon are out of order. Not having Hoseok able to dance made Yoongi and Namjoon a lot more nervous. Yoongi felt like Hoseok would be able to spot all their tiny mistakes if all he does is watch. Then Namjoon confessed that he sometimes looked at Hoseok for what to do next anytime he forgot the next move. You know they're going to be fine though. Hoseok is really nice when teaching choreographing with the preteens, but hard on his two friends. Mainly because he knows they can do better.

When lunch came around, Yoongi and Namjoon were already stretching outside. They were getting warmed up as you took a seat on the side. You were currently working on the posters to print out. You were also doing the math of how many you should print out and how much money you had available. This is where Namjoon's math help really came in handy. You knew exactly what to solve, even doing most of it in your head without writing it out or using a calculator. After a couple minutes, Hoseok arrived and was panting lightly. He automatically took a seat in the center. Namjoon and Yoongi stood in front of him, smiling as Hoseok got himself situated. He set down his crutches to his side with a sigh. Hoseok badly wanted to dance with them, but he had to wait. He took out his phone so he could play the music Yoongi had sent to him. They needed to review the dances they would be doing with the preteens since they no longer were doing a dance for rap only songs.

"I think we need props," Was the first thing Hoseok said.

"What?" Namjoon furrowed his brows.

"Props? What do you mean?" Yoongi frowned, thinking this would mean more work on their part.

"Like chairs. I feel if we incorporated chairs into one of the songs that it could turn out super cute," Hoseok stated. "The song is already slow so it won't be too hard."

"Where are we going to get chairs?" Yoongi sighed.

"I'll be in charge of that. For now, don't worry about it and keep practicing what you can." You raised your hand up. The boys smiled at you as you quickly wrote down a note for yourself. The boys will need chairs at for one of the dances then.

"Thank you, (F/n). I'm surprised you haven't gotten stressed out with all the things we pile on you," Namjoon said apologetically. He scratched the back of his head while you assured them that you were fine.

"Don't worry about me. This stuff is really fun! Stressful at times, but a lot more worth it than school." You shrugged. "I can't complain too much when I'm doing it all with my friends."

"Cute~!" Hoseok clapped his hands.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but we should probably get started." Yoongi tapped Namjoon's shoulders. You zipped your lips, not wanting to interrupt their practice anymore. Whenever Namjoon and Yoongi had to dance with the preteens, they had to work at a faster pace. The younger boys all caught on a lot faster. Hoseok had to work and adapt with them which left Yoongi and Namjoon a little lost. That's why Hoseok took the time at school to go through it again. Much slower this time so the two rappers could be at the same level as the vocal line.

That reminds you of something actually. You never got to tell the boys that you didn't want to be a part of the group. Of course, you like helping them and handling the business aspects. The only thing you knew you wanted no part of was performing. Chewing your bottom lip, you watched as the two rappers danced to the music. Hoseok was silently watching with his chin raised up. Something about Hoseok was intimidating right now. You sighed to yourself, figuring you could tell them later. They'll hopefully understand. For now, you don't want to ruin anything.

The boys practiced for the entirety of lunch. It wasn't until there was two minutes left of lunch that you officially had to cut them off practicing. Class would be starting very soon. All of you were risking it still staying outside with such little time. Namjoon helped Hoseok stand up and gets his things. While you got your own things, you saw Yoongi staring off at the distance. He was looking past the gated iron fence that blocked off outsiders from the school. He narrowed his eyes, not moving from his spot.

"Is everything okay, Yoongi?" You walked up to him, throwing your bag on your shoulders.

"...yeah. Sorry, I just thought someone was watching us." Yoongi tilted his head, sucking in his breath. It felt strange hearing that from him. He wasn't joking to scare you. Looking over at the fence, you felt goosebumps. Yoongi still couldn't get over it but forced himself to look at you.

"You think it was school staff?" You asked with a hint of hope.

"No. Staff wouldn't run away..." Yoongi's lips thinned. He eventually shook his head and pushed you forward. "Come on. Let's get to class."

You wondered what exactly Yoongi had seen. Yoongi didn't really answer your questions. He told you not to think about it and dropped you off at your last class. He probably avoided answering anything so you wouldn't freak out. It was sweet of him, but now you felt paranoid. Who would be watching you guys? It made no sense. Then you figured a student must have come out to check out what you guys were doing. Once they got spotted by Yoongi, the 'terrifying' delinquent, they freaked out and ran away. That sounded like the most plausible idea.

There was something you didn't know. No one knew. No one but them. Those few who saw the poster on the convenience store windows and overheard a chirpy little baby chick admitting that him and his friends were going to be participating. Unknown to all of you, the baby chick had accidentally earned you guys watchful eyes. Ones that were carefully viewing you and the rappers or the young vocals from time to time. Watching the competition carefully and secretly. They haven't been caught yet, but their gaze was beginning to burn on the boys. Who would be watching BTS before the actual competition?

But your thoughts didn't linger on it for long. You were immediately preoccupied with thoughts concerning the future of BTS and Midnight Measure. Though open mic wasn't until tomorrow night, you were going to tell them about it today. School ended quickly and all of you met up at the front of the school gates. Hoseok whined when he remembered that all of you walked over to Namjoon's house. Moving around became so hard for him. It was driving him crazy. Luckily, Namjoon is a good friend and offered to give Hoseok a piggyback ride. It's not like you had the strength and Yoongi would much rather carry the crutches. You were left with holding their backpacks.

Students stared in your guy's direction. They used to wear strange expressions. A bunch of people couldn't believe the four of you had become friends in the first place. You could understand the shock. The main reason people were staring this time was because Hoseok was waving at everyone. Some people giggled, waving back and enjoying his friendly nature. It was Jung Hoseok waving at them after all. How could they not wave back? Plus, lots of people had been crowding Hoseok in the halls. The second they saw him with crutches, they had to know what happened. The popular boy was as popular as ever.

"Nice job, Class president!" A boy shouted. His friends behind him chuckled. Hoseok frowned slightly, recognizing them as his old friends. Namjoon gave them awkward smiles while Yoongi was less shameful. He sent all of them a deadly glare, making all of them gulp. Yoongi is still seen as a troublemaker to most when in reality, he doesn't really do much. Not unless you push his buttons. Other than that, you noticed some people surprised that Yoongi was helping at all. These people seriously haven't gotten the memo yet that your friends were more than their labels.

Yoongi saw your frustrated pout and bumped his shoulder with yours. He did that just to tell you that you needed to wipe that look off your face. Thanks for the reminder. Hoseok chuckled, enjoying the view on Namjoon's back. He got to be taller than everyone else. The walk all the way over to Namjoon's house was more eventful than usual. Namjoon almost tripped in the middle of a crosswalk. Things could have ended badly, but they didn't! All that matters is that you guys made it home safely.

"I saw my life flash before my eyes!" Hoseok slipped down Namjoon's back onto the carpet floor.

"Quit saying that! The car wasn't even moving in the first place!" Yoongi nudged the male's body with his foot. The rest of you took off your shoes while you had to do it for Hoseok who was still terrified. "Stop that. Don't be his nurse."

"Shush! I like (F/n) taking care of me." Hoseok winked at you.

"You're lucky you're hurt." You smiled playfully.

"Yes, Ma'am." Hoseok quickly got himself to stand up on his own. Yoongi and Namjoon laughed, walking over to the kitchen.

"I didn't drop you. I just...almost did." Namjoon rolled his shoulders. "But we made it!"

"Next time, Yoongi takes me." Hoseok sat down at the table.

"Hell no." Yoongi scoffed.

"Funny you thought you could make him do something that's exhausting for no reason." You grinned. Yoongi nodded his head at your words. The only way Yoongi was going to help out Hoseok was if he was getting paid in some way. Money, food, or more music equipment. Hoseok rolled his eyes as you demanded everyone's attention. Tomorrow was open mic at Midnight Measure and rap line is going to be performing. "You guys have that one song you keep playing. I figured you guys could do that one."

"I guess." Yoongi shrugged.

"That's sounds good to me. This is starting to get really exciting!" Namjoon's dimples appeared at the idea of performing as a group already. Not with everybody, but he was going to be sharing the stage with his friends. It's hard to contain your happiness when you get to do something as special as that.

Hoseok licked his lips, feeling more nervous about it. He's not a rapper like the others. At least he doesn't consider himself a rapper. "At least I get to perform with you guys...I'm just afraid I won't be that good."

"You're good! If you learned from us, then you're f*cking good. Alright?" Yoongi huffed.

"What he said, but not as aggressive." Namjoon smiled before patting Hoseok's shoulder. "Your flow is insane, Hoseok. You catch on quick and you already know how to be a performer. You know how to feel music and it shows. You'll be fine with us on stage."

"Awe, thanks Joonie~! You're so sweet!" Hoseok happily tugged Namjoon out of his seat. The president stumbled over, forced into a hug he didn't plan on. You grinned to yourself. Namjoon was already doing so well on being a leader. Yoongi was about to say something until the front door got slammed open. The kids arrived. They came home earlier than usual. It wasn't anything too strange, but then again...you thought too soon.

"I'm home..." An oddly deep voice spoke. A deep voice, but it still held the same familiar innocence.

"Who the f*ck is that?" Yoongi laughed, getting up to see.

"No way!" Hoseok's eyes widened. "Did his balls drop—OW!!" You covered your mouth with your hands. You don't know what Hoseok expected. He can't say that and not get hit by Namjoon. The president smacked Hoseok with the back of his hand angrily. Yoongi was impressed, quietly clapping.

"What's wrong with you?" You whispered.

"Puberty hit~! Oh sh*t!" Yoongi grinned as Namjoon shook his head. The rapper was trying so hard not to believe what he was hearing. Next thing you know, all four of you were on your feet to check it out.

"Nope. Taehyung's voice was light and young earlier this morning. Taehyung!" Namjoon stepped into the entrance. The three boys were about to walk up the stairs, freezing the second the puppy was called.

"A lot can change." Yoongi smirked.

Taehyung looked extremely guilty as he stood on the first step of the stairs. Next to him were Jungkook and Jimin who looked slightly uncomfortable. What was going on? Where they hiding something? You wouldn't imagine that a change in Taehyung's voice would make them feel strange. Namjoon motioned the puppy to come over. He wanted to hear it for himself. With a soft sigh, Taehyung moved his way over to his older brother. Hoseok and Yoongi were biting their lips. You didn't understand what they were going on about. They were acting like this was the funniest thing in the world. With everyone focusing on Taehyung's voice, Jimin and Jungkook barely noticed Hoseok's crutches.

"Say something." Namjoon kept eye contact with the puppy.

"...Hi hyung," Taehyung spoke and his voice was deep. Namjoon instantly inhaled, in pain from the truth. "I don't know what happened. My voice sounds...different. But it's okay, I guess."

"It's not okay. It's not okay." Namjoon hugged the smaller boy, acting as if Taehyung was dying. He really couldn't stand his brother growing up. Jungkook and Jimin walked over when you started to realize something else going on with the boys. It was small, but you quickly noted it. Most of the boys were losing baby fat in their faces. They still looked super young, but they were growing taller.

"It made us so uncomfortable," Jimin admitted.

"We didn't say anything about it the entire day." Jungkook laughed before clearing his throat.

"Puberty is awful." Namjoon huffed.

"It is." Taehyung nodded.

"Don't speak." Namjoon petted Taehyung's hair.


	30. Midnight Measure

Ch.30

Open mic was tonight. That plan was already set with you guys secretly meeting there at midnight. The seventh graders were completely unaware. They finished recording their voices onto the songs and were now messing around in the living room. The only voice left to record was yours, but you've been busy. Everything related to getting the rappers to perform together is much more important. That's all you have been focusing on most recently. Even the boys knew that was your main focus at the moment. The vocals all worked so well together, but the rappers still struggled at times. Tonight was their time to change that.

Currently, all of you were still at Namjoon's house. The clock was now at six which is the time everyone normally goes home. Without trying to catch the attention of the kids, Namjoon walks you guys over to the front door. Yoongi has already sent the track over to Jinyo. It was Jinyo's job to give it the MC so they would have it ready to play. The boys were struggling to contain their energy. Hoseok was full of nerves and kept laughing at weird times. Namjoon was stiffer than he typically is and then Yoongi couldn't stop smiling at nothing.

"You're all going to make the kids suspicious," You whispered. Hoseok fidgeted before he got smacked by Namjoon. Something to make him pull himself together. Though Namjoon reassured him multiple times that he would do good live with them, it still made Hoseok nervous.

"I'm ready. I could do it now even." Yoongi's smiled grew. It was beginning to look more like a smirk.

"And you. You look...creepy." You didn't know how to put it in a nice way. If there even was a nice way to put it. Yoongi stopped smiling to click his tongue at you. He quickly got over it though by shrugging. He could sort of see what you meant by the mirror in Namjoon's house.

"Well, it's best to stop stalling then. I'll meet you guys there tonight." Namjoon clapped his hands together.

"Meet them where?" Taehyung popped up. His deep voice made all of you jump. It was going to take some getting used to. He furrowed his brows, his two friends walking over to see what they were missing. You stared at Namjoon with wide eyes. This is exactly what you didn't want.

"I only said I'll meet them at school tomorrow. That's it." Namjoon petted Taehyung's head. "Can I talk to them privately, Tae?"

"Why?" Taehyung pouted, wrapping his arms around Namjoon's waist. The elder brother sighed, this time a lot more patient with the puppy than he had been in the past. Jimin and Jungkook curiously looked up to their hyungs for answers too. If you're being honest though, it felt like they wouldn't be looking up for long. The boys seemed to be growing taller and any second now, they would pass you. Jimin recently has been talking a lot of smack, saying he's going to have the biggest growth spurt out of his friends. Only time will tell. "Is it something secretive?" The puppy wiggled his eyebrows.

"Not really. Just high school stuff." Namjoon shrugged.

Jimin eventually tapped Taehyung to leave you guys alone already. It's not like their curiosity had vanished though. Taehyung continued to pout as Jungkook helped drag the puppy back into the living room. Namjoon sighed in relief as if you guys were in the clear already. You kept your eyes on the entrance of the living room. They could be listening in for all you know. Once those kids get curious, it's hard to make them forget. Hoseok rubbed his sweaty hands as Namjoon faced all of you again with a smile. Yoongi had his arms crossed, ready to just go back home. He only wanted to get enough sleep for the night ahead of him and you'd like to do the same.

"So I'll—"

"Talk about school." You hissed through your teeth. Namjoon straightened his posture in shock. With big eyes, he looked over his shoulder. The boys weren't poking their heads in. Obviously. But that doesn't mean they weren't listening.

"I finished my homework. There was one problem I didn't understand," Hoseok said. He glanced at Namjoon with a small smile, actually discussing the homework that had been assigned tonight. "Did you get the last problem?"

"On the homework? Uh, which one was it again?" Namjoon raised a brow. He scratched his neck, noticing the surprise on all of your faces. Hoseok was the most dramatic by looking horrified. Yoongi and you were only confused. What does he mean by that? What other homework did Seokjin gives you guys today?

"The page eighty in our workbook?" Yoongi checked to see if the realization would ever hit Namjoon's face. He only kept a confused face but nodded to himself.

"Right. I'll remember that...I haven't done it. I'm a bit behind on homework," Namjoon admitted. Hoseok clutched his chest at the president's confession. One of his crutches ended up fall on the ground and the boy swore under his breath. "What? It's not like I'm not going to do it. I will. Just...when we get back."

"Like three in the morning?" Yoongi scoffed. "At that point, I just don't do my homework at all. I'd rather sleep."

"What even is your grade in Seokjin's class?" You questioned.

"Passing and that's all that matters." Yoongi crossed his arms. You don't know what other answer you were expecting. If Yoongi finished the homework in class then that's perfect. If he doesn't then he doesn't really bother. Not unless Namjoon makes him during tutoring, but there hasn't been any tutoring anymore.

"I'm passing too and have the top grade. You guys don't have to worry about me." Namjoon smiled confidently. You pursed your lips, a bit unsure whether to trust him or not. Hoseok didn't seem to like that answer too. Though the four of you have been putting everything into the contest, you guys haven't slacked with schoolwork. It seems Namjoon might be though. He's the class president as well so you hope he doesn't get scolded by Seokjin.

"Well, I gotta get going." Yoongi shoves his hands in his pockets. You open the front door, slowly walking out with him. The two of you turned around to wave goodbye one last time. Namjoon waved from the front door as Seokjin's car pulls up. Jungkook and Hoseok's ride was here now.

Since Hoseok basically needs help getting anywhere, Seokjin has volunteered to be his driver. It was a very kind gesture that Hoseok wasn't allowed to refuse. Seokjin didn't want Hoseok overworking himself just to get home and to school. Jungkook didn't mind the company in the car. He actually really loved to have Hoseok around. Jungkook ran up to Hoseok, frowning slightly now that he had to go. The bunny quickly went to hug his friends goodbye. Yoongi greeted Seokjin who stayed in his car. He smiled at all of you and luckily couldn't hear what you guys were saying. Namjoon stared at Yoongi and you again with a smirk.

"I'll see you guys...tomorrow." Namjoon winked.

"Why are you suddenly bad at this?" Yoongi threw his arms up.

"Give him a break. He's trying." Hoseok laughed, making his way to Seokjin's car. Namjoon pouted but didn't bother fighting back.

"Remember. Midnight sharp." You reminded them. They all nodded quietly as Jungkook ran out the door to get in the car. Jimin slipped past the door to enter the car with them. It was getting dark out, so he needed the ride home. You waved one last time to Namjoon and Taehyung before the door was closed. Soon Seokjin pulled out of the driveway. Everyone in the car waved to you and Yoongi. With a peaceful smile, you looked over at Yoongi.

"Come on. Let me take you home." Yoongi held his hand out and you happily took it.

Yoongi dropped you off at your place. He wanted to make sure you got home safely which you did thanks to him. There were still some reports on the homeless man and he wasn't risking anything. As soon as you got home, you rushed to your room to sleep. An alarm clock was already set to wake you up. It won't be long before it wakes you. Clothes were already prepared for you to switch into. Then your bus pass was on your night stand, ready to be used for a bus ride to and from Midnight Measure. It's unfortunate that not all of you couldn't fit on Yoongi's bike. It was okay though since you wanted to talk to the boys before and after they experience the performance. You wanted to see how it changes them as they continue to work together.

In the blink of an eye, it's already time to get up. It feels like you barely slept at all. Not that you mind too much. You're spring out of bed without any issues. You're too thrilled about tonight that it doesn't matter. There were your clothes that you instantly switched into. Warm for the cold long night you're about to experience. Then you grabbed your phone and bus pass for tonight. Rushing outside of your house, you were immediately greeted by three tall dark figures. You ran up to them with a huge smile on your face. Throwing your arms around them, they chuckled and let the moon light hit their faces.

Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi were already waiting for you. Now that the four of you were together, it was time to get to the bus stop. All of you ran in the dark with masks on your face. Hopefully something to hide how young all of you were. Was it possible to tell how young someone is from the bridge of their nose and up? You don't know, but you were ready for tonight. Namjoon and Yoongi kept talking about how good it was going to feel on stage. They already knew how to make the stage theirs. Hoseok was a little more quiet as he reviewed his lyrics. He mumbled them under his breath, trying to make sure he had them memorized. He didn't want to mess up on his first performance.

You didn't interrupt him and let him practice. Hoseok was taking this seriously. He even refused to bring his crutches tonight. He took pain killers and was going to make it work. There was dedication there that you admired, you just hoped he wouldn't hurt himself more. Namjoon and Yoongi then considered it a good idea for them to go through it themselves too. They plugged in their earphones and muttered their lyrics. It must have sounded really intense to the bus driver. A bunch of teenagers who already look like they're in their own little cult. You kept your eyes out for the stop near Midnight Measure. Tugging the yellow string lining around the bus, you stood up and got the attention of the boys. It's time to get into Midnight Measure.

All three rappers got off with you. They couldn't stop talking about performing their song. These were one of the few times you've seen Yoongi so animated. Hoseok already looked like he was channeling a calm side of him. Namjoon had changed his aura from dorky to full on performer. Even in the way he walked, you saw their little changes as they entered the building. You led them over to the back room as they got prepared. They were all wearing the clothes you told them to pull together from their wardrobe. You wanted outfits that followed these three colors: Black, white, and red.

The boys had their own unique fashion senses, but they made their outfits work together. You clapped your hands together in anticipation. That was around the time that Jinyo stepped into the room with Jaegyu and Junsuh. They all smiled, saying they would go tell the MC that BTS's rappers had arrived. Namjoon looked over at Hoseok and Yoongi, bringing them together. His eyes then drifted over to you. He extended his hand out for you to take to bring you closer. He could see you becoming nervous slightly with the way you chewed on your bottom lip. It was only naturally that were beginning to feel butterflies in your stomach for them.

"Tonight is the first night we perform as rappers. Though we're here tonight without our vocals, I want us to know the importance of teamwork as we go on that stage. We are a unit. Even after the contest and even if we don't win, I'd love to continue what we have. I've created more music than I ever have before in my life," Namjoon started. Hoseok and Yoongi stared at him with smiles, respectfully listening to his words. "Lyrics come out every second, actual full songs instead of sentences that have been rewritten thousands of times. I can think of beats and I feel like my creativity is challenged when I work with you guys. I truly believe we were all meant to meet each other this year. Without you guys...I wouldn't even be capable of half of things I'm doing right now."

"That's not true, Joonie. You've always been amazing at writing lyrics and producing," Hoseok responded. Namjoon only shook his head at his friend.

"That's not what I meant. I mean...I would have continued to keep this side of my life in the shadows if Yoongi hadn't yelled at me. I would have lived like everyone else, working a corporate job. Unhappy and with dead dreams. But Yoongi got me to understand that my dream is worth fighting for and Hoseok...you brought up the contest. And I'm so f*cking glad you did because now I finally have friends who have become like family. You guys are lifelong friends." Namjoon smiled, a bit embarrassed with his vulnerability. He glanced down with his dimples prominently appearing on his cheeks.

"We're supposed to be all hard and tough on stage...what are you doing making us soft?" Yoongi scoffed.

"I love you guys so much!" Hoseok stretched his arms out as much as he could. He brought Yoongi and Namjoon into a group hug that you were stuck in the middle of. Hoseok didn't realize that he accidentally put you in their private rapper hug. You squirmed, quietly trying to escape so they could share their moment. "No, (F/n)! You stay!"

"But—"

"No, Cha (F/n). Without you, I wouldn't have even bothered to have befriended Yoongi or Hoseok." Namjoon made sure to tuck you back into the hug.

"The same goes for me." Yoongi squeezed everyone in the hug. He soon released everyone and adjusted his clothes. "It's time for us to head backstage now."

"That time already? Well, then let's show everyone what we're made of." Namjoon smirked.

"Scream loud for us, (F/n)!" Hoseok winked before following the two others backstage.

They're going to do so well. Your heart was pumping rapidly at this point. This is what you have been waiting for. It felt like all your hard work into setting this up was met with great results. The boys will do well. You know they will. Once they do well, the crowd will be interested in seeing more from them. Midnight Measure will then gladly agree to hold their mini concert after the boys sign up for the contest. Everyone here is going to see what they're made of. Jinyo ran to meet up with you at the back of the room. It was elevated so you could get a good view of your favorite rappers on stage. It put you at more of a distance from them, but you didn't mind. You could see it all from here. Junsuh and Jaegyu soon joined you, giving you a thumbs up.

The MC walked onto the stage to announce a special performance. The people in the crowd were already familiar with Suga and RM. They had some of their own fans in the room. People were hollering at the collaboration. Interest sparked when the MC introduced that they would be sharing the stage as three with a new, up and coming rapper by the name of J-Hope. You bit your lip, staring at the stage intensely. Fog from the machines were spilling out as the MC let BTS's rap line take the stage. The fanboys were screaming behind you as the three made their way on the stage.

Things almost sounded muted for you as you saw them smirk at the crowd. All they've done so far is walk around their space, but you knew no one would want to mess with them. Each of them carried strong energy. Their aura filling the atmosphere. They all knew how to have stage presence. It took your breath away as the hot lights landed on them. The backing track began to play for the rap the boys had worked so hard on. Hoseok stepped forward first, no longer looking nervous as he held the microphone tightly in his hands. Show them what you got, Sunshine.

"_I'll say hi, you'll say bye, a burnt tire, we're different fire, hot choir, captivating k-pop like Psy. My rap is huge! I'll say right in your ear, f*ck that!_" J-Hope started off excitedly. The beginning of his rap started by introducing their rap names before he demonstrated his technique and flow. You covered your mouth, extremely proud as he owned the stage._ "Our riots got successively stronger. Don't need long explanations, just explain with a rap. BTS, follow the leader, let's go now! What!?_" J-Hope smirked to himself. He moved to the side, passing the attention off to RM. The two boys were hyping him up on the side. You couldn't hold back your squeals as the music changed completely. RM walked up through the center coolly bringing the microphone up to his lips.

"_This is a kingdom, I'm a king, you're dumb. I'mma chew you and swallow, you're bubblegum!_" RM aggressively moved around the stage. The crowd was whooping at his bars. With the way RM expressed himself on stage, you could tell he was going all out. "_Like rags, I just hang it up after I play with it. I rip your eardrums, boom, boom, boom. This is the curse of my dawn, a nightmare, a riot, serial murder, theft, doom, doom, doom._" RM crouched down, tilting his head with a glare. He continued to completely tear any potential hater to shreds. "_B*tch, I'mma monster. I rap with a prospect, yeah, I rap with a mindset. I'm a suspect! Sucka, where yo rhymes at? Where yo lines at? I'm da king, I'm the god, so where ma emperors at?_" RM eventually brought his verse to an end, growling at the end.

The music returned to its original lighter beat as J-Hope came back. He danced a little to the tiny portion before the music shifted instantly. Suga pushed himself to the center, letting everyone know that he was the main event. RM and J-Hope were smirking knowingly at each other as Suga snapped, "_My crime is assault with my tongue. You're so bad ever since you were born. If you're gonna whine about this beat, just leave._" Suga snarled as you felt pride continue to bubble inside you. "_Goal in, I'm ballin. When I hear your rap, I'm about to throw up. My voice even bewitches your girlfriend._" The fanboys behind you were losing it until the moment came. RM and J-Hope were nodding their head off as Suga kept direct eye contact with the crowd.

"_See how far I go, all the rotten roots will be replaced. Everyone, let's play a game without efforts. You'll just be grieving. You think you can do music? Just go look for a part-time job. Although your short and thin career will get you nowhere, I hope you survive. Keep rotting away, that's your label. Your life is like an amateur. Your rap is recycled._" Suga had raised his reputation underground. The second he rapped all of that, you were impressed. His fanboys were hitting each other behind you in pure excitement. They were screaming and questioning how many syllables did he spit in how many seconds? The crowd was losing it as well. Especially one short fellow who you noticed was with two other short people. All of them wearing hoodies and long coats inside. "_You save up and divide up the flow, write it up and use it again. Hey beat, know that you're embarrassing, just with 24 measures, you lay down sick. Compared to your size, your rap is so thin. Like your parents, my heart hurts every time I see you. I'll put a period at the artery of your music career._" Suga panted before laughing maniacally in the mic, soon glaring at the crowd again. "Yah!"

The boys were finished. All of them were sweating and panting but living in the moment. They each stared at the crowd as if they were getting lost in the moment. Soon they walked off with smiles on their faces. You hadn't even realized how much you were screaming for them. Mainly because the fanboys behind you wouldn't stop screaming 'oh sh*t', 'f*ck', and 'he did that!' like crazy people. At the same time, you completely understood where they were coming from. You went down to the ground floor to make your way to the backroom. The boys must all be there waiting to see you. They all did so amazing! As you made your way over, your eyes landed on the three short people again. You were going to ignore them until you heard a newly deep voice speak.

"That was so f*cking cool! There's no other way to describe what I just saw!" The deep voice squealed.

"I never knew our hyungs were hiding this from us. This place is awesome!" A bunny like voice spoke.

"They keep going to all these secret, cool places without us. It's so unfair!" A light baby chick whined. "But I guess we should get going, huh?"

"Yeah, I need to wake up early for school." The bunny sighed as they all began to turn around. You crossed your arms, poking your tongue on the inside of your cheek.

"School is a load of bull—oh!" The puppy froze as his eyes connected with your narrowed ones. The baby chick and bunny stopped moving too. All three of them began shaking at your strong glare.

"Mind finishing that sentence?" You felt tempted to tug at their ears. Taehyung shook his head, acting as if he wasn't used to swearing when his hyungs weren't around. "You know how Namjoon-a feels about you swearing."

"I-I don't swear!" Taehyung chuckled awkwardly. Jimin and Jungkook gave each other little looks which told you more than enough. "Only sometimes! Only when I really need to describe something cool!"

"Others in our grade swear a lot more than Tae, Noona," Jimin said.

"That's true." Jungkook nodded. "I don't swear and neither does Jimin."

"Don't lie!" Taehyung stomped his foot.

"(F/n)!" A voice called out to you. Turning your head, your upset expression left your face. It had to the second you saw Hoseok waving at you. He was coming over with Yoongi and Namjoon right behind him. The three of them wore huge grins on their faces. A squeal left your lips without any control. You wanted to give all of them the biggest hugs! The only problem was the three children who were here past their bedtime. The children swallowed hard, realizing that their punishment would be coming. Jungkook and Jimin felt a little better knowing that they weren't actually related to their hyungs. Taehyung was the only one silently wishing that he got to see daylight again. "Did you see us!? I was on stage! Rapping! It felt so—so—ah! Adrenaline was everywhere! I loved it!"

"It was a complete success, (F/n)! Thanks to you, everything is coming together!" Namjoon said.

"You guys did all the rapping though!" You denied the credit. "And all of you were so amazing! This place is more alive than ever!"

"Our reputation is going to be off the charts because of this! Seriously, we'll be the talk of the f*cking town!" Yoongi snickered before his eyes landed on the three short boys. His cheerful attitude vanished instantly. Those were not the three males he was planning on seeing. Namjoon and Hoseok saw Yoongi's change, looking over to where he was staring. The children raised their hands and waved awkwardly. The smiles on the rapper's fell by the time the fanboys arrived to congratulate them. Yoongi sighed at his fanboys. "Can we actually talk later? We have to...deal with something."

"You do?" Jinyo frowned.

"I just want to say you're awesome! Okay, bye!" Jaegyu bounced.

"I'm assuming they're the problem." Junsuh pointed to the three children. All of them wanted to shrink with the intimidating gentlemen around. You nodded your head, disappointed in them. How did they even follow you guys without any of you noticing?

The preteens were immediately pulled to the side. The four of you were going to scold them in a quieter setting that was still warm for them. From the looks of it, Namjoon looked the most disappointed. He kept his eyes on the back of Taehyung's head. Hoseok was acting as if he was expecting this from Jimin. You could understand why. Jimin has already pulled this with street dancing. Then Yoongi had an unreadable expression. His eyes never left the bunny who was biting his lip. You sighed as you closed the door, muffling some of the sounds coming from the performers.

"Now...explain what you're all doing here. How did you all get here?" You started off, your tone coming off more frightening than you intended. The shorter boys flinched, frowning to have been caught.

"We just wanted to know what hyung was constantly disappearing to," Taehyung answered. Namjoon instantly raised a brow at that, earning looks from Hoseok and Yoongi. "At the sleepover, you guys left for a couple hours...and it's not like I haven't heard hyung sneaking out before."

"I-I was the one who convinced them that we should follow you guys." Jimin stared down at his feet.

"We're really sorry..." Jungkook bowed. The other two bowed deeply as well, earning sighs from all of you. It was hard to stay mad at them when you guys weren't exactly being good role models yourselves. If your parents found out where you were, they'd freak out. They would want you sleeping in your bed at home. Yoongi would get grounded without another thought. You're sure Hoseok's Mom would worry and you don't know much about Namjoon's parents. All of you looked at each other and came to a silent conclusion.

"None of you are in trouble," Namjoon said as they all gasped. They lifted their heads in surprise, not believing the words they were hearing. "But don't go off sneaking here any time you want. The less you guys come here, the better. Got that?"

"Yes, Hyung!" They all bowed again. They were all so grateful they weren't going to get a harsh scolding. Taehyung let out a gentle sigh before looking over at Yoongi. His puppy like eyes were huge and filled with stars. He ran over to hug Yoongi, taking the slender male by surprise. Namjoon quickly furrowed his brows in shock.

"My god, Hyung! You're so cool! I never knew you could rap like that!" Taehyung bounced, refusing to let Yoongi go. Yoongi slowly began to smirk and hug Taehyung back. Namjoon didn't appreciate the smug look he was getting from his friend. "I loved the song so much and not only that, but you've become my favorite rapper! You're the best."

"Taehyung, what the f—I'm right here! I'm your brother!" Namjoon whined. Little feet ran over to Namjoon, taking him by surprise. He was hugged tightly and he didn't know what to say.

"Seeing you, Hyung...I never felt so inspired." Jungkook smiled, staring up at Namjoon in utter admiration. It was Yoongi's turn to begin scowling. Namjoon felt touched and lifted the boy up into a tight hug. Though the moment looked really cute, Namjoon had a smug look of his own now. "It's true, Hyung! You were so filled with passion that I-I...it's hard to put it into words! Y-You're so awesome and I'm excited to do the contest with you. Thank goodness you're our leader!" Jungkook hugged Namjoon tightly.

"Aw, Kookie." Namjoon petted the boy. The bunny kept giggling with a flushed face. He didn't think he would be revealing that tonight. Yoongi was also slowly becoming embarrassed by Taehyung's cheers. The puppy was so enthusiastic about his performance. Taehyung already wanted to learn the lyrics so he could rap it himself. Jungkook was with him on that. It was around this time that Hoseok stared at them with a tiny frown. His eyes went over to yours, pouting at his lack of attention.

"What about me?" Hoseok kicked the ground. You were about to go give him a hug and compliment his rapping, but a baby chick beat you to it. Jimin jumped up, miraculously getting caught by Hoseok.

"I loved your rapping, Hyung! You'll always be my favorite! I'm your number one fan!" Jimin snuggled into Hoseok. At this point, Hoseok looked over at you with teary eyes.

"That's it! I'm adopting Park Jimin and he's officially my little brother!" Hoseok announced to get a strong 'yay' from the baby chick. You shook your head softly, chuckling at the sweetness.


	31. Signing Up

Ch.31

"I studied so hard that I thought my brain was going to explode." Hoseok had trouble staying still.

"Me too. I'm so nervous..." You frowned.

Today was officially the last day before break. There wasn't enough time to be excited for the freedom. Now that the rap performance was done a few days ago, you've put all your energy into passing this test. You were aiming for a B, the highest. You wanted to be realistic. With all your other classes, you had it in the bag. But of course, math is different and it will always make you scream inside. Today's tests are the reason you put down focusing on the contest. You had to remind yourself that passing your classes are important too. Principal Yoo gave you your warning about failing the class. There's no time to fall back now that you're finally raising your grade.

Hoseok was the only one as nervous as you were. The two of you were desperate to stay at Sehwang. At this point, returning to a public school felt like a major failure. You would be forced to see your old friends and you'd most likely get ridiculed. The same would happen to Hoseok. They would show more clemency towards Hoseok though. Either way, the two of you felt like your brains were fried. These few past days have been filled with extreme studying. So much that Hoseok and you didn't spend time to practice at Namjoon's house.

Yoongi wasn't worried much. Maybe he was and he's only really good at hiding it. He normally kept his expressions to a minimum. The most Yoongi did was keep checking around the hall if Seokjin was coming. He dropped Hoseok off at school so he had to be somewhere around here. At the same time, Yoongi has formed a strange friendship with Seokjin so you can't be sure what his intentions are. There's also the fact that Yoongi is a really hard student to get rid of. He's the principal's wife's son for god's sake. Min Yoongi is practically untouchable. He can only get light scolds from the principal at most before he himself puts the principal in his place.

"You guys will be fine. You guys studied hard and used the study guide." Namjoon smiled. Yoongi nodded along with him.

"Exactly." Yoongi sighed.

Now Namjoon was one guy you didn't have to worry about when it came to passing a test. Namjoon could do these math problems in his sleep. It really wasn't any sort of issue for him. The only thing that you have been noticing with Namjoon is his lack of speed. He used to finish work for the class as quickly as possible. Seokjin hasn't said anything, but you can see it in his eyes. Seokjin keeps looking at Namjoon to see what's wrong. It's not like Namjoon to turn in late work or to bother turning in things unfinished. Yesterday might have worried the teacher the most. Namjoon had to go to a meeting as class president but skipped it. Hoseok and you weren't so sure he should have done that. It's no thanks to Yoongi though. The delinquent was encouraging him to forget the meeting and work on music. Yoongi's not always a good influence. It's fine, you guess.

"Ready for break everyone?" Seokjin finally arrived. He waved his keys around as students perked up. Some were still busy reviewing their study guides. "Let's get these tests out of the way then. Come on in." He unlocked the classroom door. Students began flooding inside as he walked to his desk. He had the stack of papers tucked underneath his arm. They were warm and freshly printed. He smiled as everyone sat themselves in their seats. Everyone was taking new sharp pencils and erasers, including you. Seokjin stepped up with a smile, looking over at the clock. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Jungkook's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Eat up." Jimin moved his boxed lunch near Taehyung.

"Thank you, Jiminie." Taehyung stuffed his chopsticks inside. He grabbed the biggest chunk of meat, automatically making Jimin regret sharing.

"Y-Yah! We're supposed to share!" Jimin clutched the meat with his own pair of chopsticks. I scrunched my face, watching them fight. This seems to happen every lunch. It always feels like Jimin is taking care of Taehyung. They bicker a lot but also take care of one another. Even though I've been added to their friend group, they're still extremely close. Sometimes I just watch and judge everything they do. Biting into my bread, I continued to watch the mess in front of me. "Give me that."

"Ah, Jimin-a! Please!" Taehyung pouted at Jimin's success. The boy with chubby cheeks took a small bite of the piece of meat. It already had Taehyung sad that he couldn't have that piece. But since Jimin is a major push over, he began to give the rest to Taehyung. "Jiminie! Thank you!" He lifted his chopsticks, only to get his hand smacked.

"No! Let me feed you." Jimin was stubborn. Taehyung didn't really care as long as he got to eat. He opened his mouth, being fed and he chewed happily. The only problem was that Taehyung was a messy eater. He also tends to chew really loudly. Taehyung stuffed rice in his face and kept adding more into his mouth. "You'll choke! Slow down!"

"Nom." Taehyung shook his head, smiling at his friend. Jimin instantly shoved a juice box in Taehyung's face. It was grape juice which meant it wasn't that good. I quietly opened my banana milk, sipping as I watched the show. Taehyung managed to get some juice dripping down his chin. Not to mention, he still had a bit of rice and sauce at the corner of his lips.

"Does Namjoon hyung even teach you manners?" Jimin huffed. He leaned over with a napkin, cleaning up the boy's face. From the way I saw it, it felt like Taehyung sometimes ate messily on purpose. He couldn't always get this type of attention from Namjoon hyung or other family. That's why he's using Jimin. "If you keep eating like that, just go."

"Ah...I should have brought ramen seasoning from home." Taehyung groaned.

"W-What? Why are you-what?" Jimin started laughing. He completely bent over as he held his stomach. His smile was so wide that his eyes completely disappeared into crescents. Despite being friends with Taehyung for so long, he was still taken by surprise at the boy's randomness. I chuckled quietly and shook my head as I cleaned up my trash.

"Actually! I want to show you a video! Hyung showed them to me." Taehyung motioned Jimin over. The boy didn't hesitate to scoot right next to his best friend. Taehyung held out his phone, his square smiling growing as Jimin rested his head on his shoulder.

At this point, I stood up to throw away my trash. I'm friends with the both of them. Sometimes it feels like I'm interrupting them though. They're much closer than I am with either of them. Even as I left to a faraway trash can, they hadn't realized I had gone. They were too busy being cute and friendly with each other. I sighed and walked over to the water fountain. The only time I feel close to them is when we practice for the contest. Or when we're at Namjoon's house. Then there are times like this where I feel left out. The water fountain felt a little lower than usual. My uncle says it's because I'm growing taller. My uncle also talks too much, so I don't know.

Taking a sip of water, I felt myself cool down from my insecurities. Jimin and Taehyung are my friends. I'm just too shy at times to say anything. If I just spoke to them during lunch then they would include me too. It's my fault for not trying. Wiping my lips, I turn the corner to head back to my friends. That's when my hears were greeted with familiar snickering. My eyes widened as I looked up to see the ninth graders coming my way. They hadn't noticed me standing there. No! I quickly ran back in panic. I don't want to get hurt! As I ran away and went a different route, I bumped into someone crouching down. I stumbled over my feet while they completely fell over.

"S-Sorry!" I turned to bow at them.

"That hurt..." They whined. They rubbed their back as they stood up. I stared at them, noting that they were most likely my age. The only difference was that they were so much more baby faced than me. They also weren't wearing the same school uniform as me. I raised a brow at them while they gave me a pout. "You're my rival!"

"W-What?" I furrowed my brows. "I-I don't get what y-you mean..." It was hard to control my stuttering around new people. I wish I could be as outgoing as Jimin and Taehyung.

"Don't worry about it!" He laughed what I assumed was supposed to be evilly. He soon smirked at me. "I see you're feeling left out from your friend group."

"Were...you w-watching me?" I tilted my head with big eyes. Lately, I've been feeling watched. So have Taehyung and Jimin. We just haven't mentioned it to our hyungs or noona.

"Uh...no? Anyway! I bet Jimin and Taehyung feel like they could do much better without you in their boy group!" The small boy shouted. His words immediately hurt me until I realized what he was saying. Our boy group? Then he must know we're planning on doing the contest. Who even is this guy? I narrowed my eyes on him and he quickly gulped.

"You don't know my friends. Why are you here?" I stepped closer to him, seeing him sweat.

"N-No reason! Okay, bye!" He turned around, running away from me as fast as he could.

"Wait!" I tried reaching out towards him. At least I have his face memorized. There's not much I could do now anyway. He didn't seem too threatening either. He's really small compared to me and only talked big. Maybe he's the guy who has been watching my friends and I? Shrugging, I waved off the incident as unimportant. I don't think it's anything to tell my hyungs or noona about. Jimin and Taehyung don't even have to know about it. As I walked back to where they were seated, I was surprised to see them looking around in panic. They were so worried as they ran around bothering other kids in our grade.

"Have you seen Jeon Jungkook? JUNGKOOK!?" Taehyung shouted, making a girl cover her hears.

"Jungkookie! Where are you!?" Jimin looked teary eyed. "Come back!!"

"Jungkook!" Taehyung yelled as loud as he could.

"JEON JUNGKOOK!!!" Jimin stomped his feet.

"I'm right here guys." I waved awkwardly at them. It felt strange to be the center of attention. Jimin and Taehyung stopped screeching once I appeared. They both let out sighs, running to give me a hug. They were acting as if I had vanished for years. I laughed at how they were scolding me for leaving without saying anything. I was only throwing away my trash. Jimin continued pouting, saying I was lucky that Taehyung was around or else who would have taught me a lesson. I didn't buy it. Taehyung also said that without Jimin, he would have made missing people flyers already. I shook my head at their reactions. As we walked back to our spot, Taehyung jumped on Jimin to force the smaller boy to give him a piggyback ride. I grinned to myself, realizing that these two idiots were a package deal.

*~*

School was ending by the time Namjoon received a message telling him that Mr. Kim needed to talk to him after school. Celebrating the start of a short vacation had to be postponed. Namjoon would have told you guys to go to his house without him, but he didn't know how long he would take. Mr. Kim was also Hoseok's way of getting to his house. It had all of you worried and confused for the president. Hoseok was trying to run as fast as he could with crutches. He wanted to make it to Mr. Kim's class as fast as possible. You were so worried he was going to end up hurting himself.

Yoongi was already waiting by Mr. Kim's door. Apparently, Namjoon had barely entered. Hoseok and you were panting from the rush over here. The two of you tried your best to not breathe too loudly. Mr. Kim probably wouldn't be happy to have you guys listening in. Namjoon purposely left the door slightly open. The three of you inched closer to the crack open door. All of you peeked inside to see Mr. Kim standing up from his desk with a couple papers in his hands. Namjoon was silently staring at the teacher, not speaking until he was spoken to.

"Do you have an idea as to why I called you?" Mr. Kim asked. "It had to be urgent if I'm stopping you from enjoying your break just yet."

"Did I fail the test?" Namjoon frowned. For once, you saw genuine fear flash through his eyes. He balled his hands into tight nervous fists. Mr. Kim quickly shook his head at his question.

"Goodness no. If you did, I would have a heart attack!" Mr. Kim laughed. It took the three of you outside so much not to giggle. Mr. Kim always had the most infectious laugh. The only one having no trouble at holding back laughter was Namjoon. He remained serious, his eyes never leaving the teacher for answers. "Oh sorry...the reason I called you here is because I wanted to ask if anything was wrong."

"If something is wrong?" Namjoon repeated, making Mr. Kim sound like he was insane. Namjoon almost felt annoyed for being called here. He wanted to go home already. To finally put all his energy into his music without anything holding him back. "No. Everything's fine. May I leave?" Namjoon took a step to the side.

"Not so fast." Mr. Kim motioned the boy to stay in the class. "Your grades. They're still high and you're passing, but they're going down. Do you not understand the material?"

"No, I understand them perfectly. It's easy." Namjoon shrugged.

"I know you understand it all. I'm sure it is easy for you, Namjoon. So tell me why exactly your grades aren't matching up?" Mr. Kim crossed his arms. "Turning in work late? Some unfinished work? You even skipped the mandatory meeting for class president. I'm sorry, Kim Namjoon, but that's unacceptable. Something's going on."

"...what are my grades like?" Namjoon fidgeted.

"Eight of out ten on this worksheet." Mr. Kim held up one of the papers he was holding. Namjoon visibly winced, unhappy to see his name attached to the grade on the paper. It hurt his pride. He knew he was capable of so much more. "Most are like that. This one has six out of ten though, the one you left unfinished. And then for the test you barely took today-"

"You graded them already?" Namjoon became tense.

"It's my job to, isn't it?" Mr. Kim raised a brow. He soon sighed, making the boy swallow hard. Did he do bad? Mr. Kim said he didn't fail though. You looked at Hoseok and Yoongi who couldn't look away from the scene. Mr. Kim held up Namjoon's test, showing that he got an 189 out of 200. Hoseok and you gasped at the sight. Yoongi glared at the both of you, quickly covering your mouths. Mr. Kim looked at the door in confusion. There's no way Namjoon got such a score like that. It's so bad! Well, you would love to get that score! But for him...in Namjoon's standards, it's bad for him. Namjoon's face paled at the score and he had to take a seat. "At least five people got scores higher than you."

"F-Five!?" Namjoon hated that. It made his blood boil, but also made him lose feeling in his legs.

"This is the top high school in the area. You can't be that surprised." Mr. Kim put the paper back on his desk. Namjoon felt like his soul had left his body. School had lost some importance to him as he began the contest, but he could feel it becoming a priority again. He was anxious at what it meant. Would he no longer be class president? The boy with the perfect score on the entrance exam was no longer...? Namjoon was trembling slightly but he was trying to get some control over himself. Mr. Kim frowned, seeing the horror on Namjoon's face. "You'll still be class president. You're also still the top student."

"Really? Oh my-" Namjoon sighed in relief too early.

"But don't! Don't relax too quickly. You're going to have to put in a little effort to secure your spot again. This school is very competitive, but I know you can keep that spot easily," Mr. Kim spoke seriously. "So I'm going to ask you again because I'm a teacher who cares. What's going on in your life?"

Namjoon stared at Mr. Kim silently. Mr. Kim was waiting for some kind of answer. He wasn't going to force the truth out of his student. He just wanted to know if he could help Namjoon and if Namjoon would accept his help. The president swallowed, struggling to speak. He wasn't so sure if he wanted to admit anything about the contest. It involved not only him, but three other people who happened to be Mr. Kim's students. Not only that, but Jungkook. Mr. Kim's nephew is also a part of it. None of you were really sure if Mr. Kim would be a fan of the idea of letting the seven of you focus on the contest so much. At the same time, Mr. Kim would have to find out eventually.

"We're doing a contest. A contest to become the next idol group," Namjoon admitted.

"We're?" Mr. Kim was shocked.

"(F/n), Hoseok, Yoongi, Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook. All of us." Namjoon sighed, running his hands through his hair. Mr. Kim grew even more surprised to hear Jungkook's name. Though the more he thought about it, things began to make sense. The intense dance practices and these songs he's never heard before. Plus, anytime he was with Jungkook, it always turned into some kind of idol training camp. Jungkook would ruthlessly make Mr. Kim rehearse the dances with him and do vocal warmups with him. Jungkook felt if he got his uncle to his idol standards then Jungkook himself would be golden. "We have to compose our own songs, write our own lyrics, and choreograph them on our own."

"...I see. And this is important to you, Namjoon?" Mr. Kim pursed his lips as he stared into Namjoon's eyes. "Important to you and the others?"

"The most important thing in the world," Namjoon breathed out. Mr. Kim nodded as he looked down at the floor. The teacher had his arms crossed as he sighed once again. The three of you standing outside were biting your lips. Was this the part where Mr. Kim tells all of you to get your heads out of the clouds?

"If it's so important to you guys then okay. I'll be cheering you all on, but please find a good balance. I'm still a teacher you know?" Seokjin chuckled. Namjoon was taken by surprise to hear this. He never thought any adult in his life would be so accepting. Hoseok and Yoongi were already cheering silently. They kept mouthing that they knew they could trust Seokjin. You smiled joyfully as Namjoon thankfully bowed to the man. Seokjin had officially received Namjoon's complete trust. The president was at a loss for words. This meant so much to him.

"Thank you so much, Hyung!!" Namjoon couldn't decide between bouncing in joy or formally bowing. He was doing a mixture of both.

"Come collect your friend now!" Seokjin turned to the door. The three of you celebrating outside froze. Slowly, Yoongi opened the door while Hoseok's jaw dropped.

"How'd you know!?" Hoseok whined.

"Was it that obvious?" Yoongi asked.

"I think the gasps were the give away," You said as Namjoon happily ran to hug you. You giggled, hugging him back while Hoseok complained on why you were the only one getting hugged. Namjoon rolled his eyes and added Hoseok to the hug.

"It's obvious because the four of you are practically inseparable. Anywhere one of you goes, the others follow." Seokjin shook his head with a huge smile on his face.

It was a successful day. Yoongi was eventually added to the group hug. At the end of it, Namjoon turned to ask Seokjin if he could retake the test. It immediately had Seokjin laughing his heart out. Yoongi groaned, not wanting to wait any longer. He wanted to leave what he considered hell. Seokjin mumbled that this was his workplace. This is where the perk of being Seokjin's favorites came in. Seokjin eventually caved in with Namjoon's unending argument about why he should be given a second chance. Namjoon wasn't leaving without retaking the test. While he took the test again, the three of you sat in the far back to not disturb him.

Namjoon flew threw it though and handed it off to Seokjin. That's when Seokjin corrected it by comparing it to his old test and with the answer key. To no one's surprise, Namjoon received a perfect score. Hoseok clapped and you did too. Yoongi was finally ready to go home. All of you grabbed your things as Seokjin locked up his classroom. He walked with all of you down the hall and even helped carry Hoseok's backpack. There were still moments where you felt tempted to swoon over Seokjin. He really is the best teacher. He even offered to drive you guys to Namjoon's place since he needed to talk to Jungkook right way.

The offer was accepted, but you all shared looks with each other. Jungkook was in trouble. Possibly. Was he in trouble for not mentioning that he was participating in a contest to his mom or uncle? Hoseok sat in the passenger's seat with his crutches. Then Yoongi and Namjoon had you sandwiched in between them. It normally wouldn't be a problem, but they were being annoying. Anytime Seokjin made a left turn, Namjoon would let his body lean against yours. Whenever there was a right turn, Yoongi would let his body lean against yours. What was the point of having seatbelts then? They knew exactly what they were doing. They stopped once they saw you scowling. You're trying not to yell at them in front of Seokjin.

It's a good thing a car ride from Sehwang to Namjoon's house doesn't take too long. By the time you guys were pulling up into the driveway, you guys spotted three short boys making their way to the house. They were all surprised to see Seokjin's car already here. Jimin and Taehyung frowned as they looked at Jungkook. They didn't want their friend to leave early when their break just started. Jungkook didn't look sad though. Instead, he looked frustrated and ran up to Namjoon's door. He waited with an angry expression for his uncle to come out. Jimin and Taehyung caught up, confused on what was going on once they saw the rest of you exit Seokjin's car. Seokjin waved at the two young ones before his eyes drifted over to his nephew. He recognized that angry face anywhere.

"Kookie, I came here to talk to you." Seokjin walked around the car. He went up to Jungkook whose nostrils were flaring. The rest of you stayed close to the car in confusion.

"Go away! Let me hang out with my friends!" Jungkook yelled.

"Hey now. Don't be like that, Jungkook." Seokjin frowned. Jungkook ran into his uncle, trying to push the male back towards his car. You pursed your lips, feeling bad for Seokjin. You never really understood why Jungkook wasn't a fan of his uncle. You understand he would rather have his mom around, but Seokjin does so much for him. "Jeon Jungkook. Stop pushing me."

"Goooo! Why are you here so early?" Jungkook whined.

"Because I have to talk to you." Seokjin sighed.

"We can talk later!" Jungkook groaned.

"Ju-"

"Get out of here! Go already!!" Jungkook began pounding his fists against Seokjin. The older male had enough, grabbing the boy's wrists tightly.

"Jeon Jungkook! You will listen to your Samchon! Now answer me, were you ever going to tell me about the contest?" Seokjin's voice became stern for the first time ever. You flinched at the change of his tone. It was no longer as friendly or patient. Even your friends had tensed up. Seokjin never had to show this side of himself when he's a teacher at Sehwang. Everyone's pretty well behaved. Jungkook stopped trying to make Seokjin leave at the mention of the contest. He stared up at Seokjin, unable to speak. His eyes quickly went over to you and his hyungs. Jungkook didn't know what to say. Yoongi only nodded his head quietly to the bunny. Jungkook was able to relax with his hyung's encouragement. Taking in a deep breath, the little bunny looked back to his uncle with a stronger stance.

"I forgot."

"D*mn it," Yoongi muttered, smacking his face with his hand.

"You forgot?" Seokjin repeated slowly. He tilted his head as Jungkook nodded confidently. Seokjin knew this wasn't true as he bent down to Jungkook's eye level. "Jungkookie, you know I love you. Right?" The bunny nodded once again. "Why can't you tell me the truth? You won't be in trouble."

"...do you promise?" Jungkook mumbled. It was Seokjin's turn to nod. "And do you promise not to tell Eomma?" This time, Seokjin was hesitant. His smile faltered for a quick second. The small change was enough to make Jungkook raise his walls up again, but Seokjin nodded his head quickly.

"I will. I will." Seokjin petted the brunette's hair.

"I want to become a singer, Samchon. I'm doing this with my friends and with my hyungs who are really good at rapping. Especially Namjoon!" Jungkook smiled. His eyes were already sparkling as he remembered the time he snuck into Midnight Measure. It was then when he found his favorite rapper. Surprising how it wasn't Yoongi. The said male currently had a pout right next to you. Well, at least he's Taehyung's favorite and Taehyung is literally related to Namjoon.

"Namjoon, you rap!?" Seokjin turned to his student in shock. All eyes landed on the class president. Namjoon's face and ears turned hot in a second.

"Yeah..." Namjoon rubbed his arm awkwardly. He was so embarrassed and wanted the attention off him already. Seokjin couldn't believe it but shrugged anyway. He faced his nephew once again with a sigh.

"Namjoon told me this was important to you," Seokjin said.

"It is! I've already put so much work into it, Samchon! And you see it when I make you practice with me!" Jungkook pointed out. Seokjin laughed again before hugging the cute little bunny. At first, the bunny didn't want to get hugged. His fists pounded on his uncle's back as he begged to be released. Yoongi whistled, catching the bunny's attention.

"Let him hug you," Yoongi whispered. Jungkook then smiled, his two front teeth poking out on his lips. The little bunny hugged Seokjin back which took his uncle by surprise. Jimin and Taehyung were smiling while the rest of you sighed. Seokjin was so happy to have Jungkook finally hug him back. He looked like he could cry. The teacher lifted Jungkook into his arms, keeping him close to his chest. Namjoon then stepped towards them, clearing his throat. The two looked over at the president and tilted their heads in the same direction. They're so cute. You let a tiny squeal slip, making Hoseok laugh and Yoongi shake his head. You were a sucker for cute things.

"Actually Hyung, now that you know...it's perfect!" Namjoon clapped his hands together. "I was wondering...could you give us all a ride tomorrow to sign up for the contest?" Namjoon motioned to all of you. Seokjin's mouth slowly fell open, but Jungkook was already nodding. He proudly hugged his uncle now.

"Yeah, Samchon can totally give us a ride!" Jungkook cheered as Seokjin sighed at his new responsibility.

Everyone was so glad to have Seokjin on board. The young ones were already used to having him around for whenever he was forced to dance in your place. Seokjin used to be really stiff in the beginning. He's gotten a lot better at controlling his body. With Jungkook's help, Seokjin was improving at a good rate. He really danced well in your spot too. Plus now that he knew the songs were made by his male students, he felt so proud of them. Seokjin wouldn't stop singing along and calling them his favorite group. It embarrassed them, but you noted how good his singing voice was. You made a comment about it and Jungkook raised his chin in the air. Apparently, also due to his guidance.

Seokjin picked all of you up in the morning. You sat up in the passenger's seat since Hoseok insisted. He left his house without crutches. Though it made Seokjin paranoid, the popular boy promised that walking no longer hurt. Your three friends sat in the back, each with their little dongsaeng sitting on their lap. Jungkook was sitting on Yoongi's lap, poking his finger through the head rest to bother his uncle. Hoseok hugged Jimin tightly, asking the boy about how his morning was. Then Taehyung was getting bounced on Namjoon's knee and asking a lot of questions. Namjoon patiently answered every single one of them. You smiled to yourself, lifting your phone up to take a picture of everyone.

Once you took one photo, the boys insisted on taking a million. The worst part was when Seokjin slowed down the car to fix his hair. That confirmed to you that Seokjin knew how good looking he was if that's all he's used to ever fixing up. The children all grew louder and restless by the time you guys arrived at the Soar Entertainment's main building. Seokjin parked the car, making sure that no one got lost. Even outside of school, he was acting like a teacher on a field trip. Namjoon led the way as leader with you following right behind him. The rest of the boys couldn't stop talking and staring at everything in awe. Luckily, there were signs guiding you guys on where to go.

Soon all of you saw rows of tables. There were multiple people sitting behind them with clipboards. There were long lines of groups signing up. So many girl groups and boy groups. It was hard for you not to get lost at the sight. It's a good thing Namjoon was there. He made sure everyone got into the shortest line with him. He checked the flyer again, looking over the rules. All members were present for signing up. Taehyung then tugged on Namjoon's sleeve, asking if they'll automatically get in once they sign in. That's not how it worked though. Once the boys sign up, they'll be given an audition date where they perform privately and wait to see if they'll be given the chance to compete further in the contest on live television.

"I can't believe we're doing this!" Hoseok repeatedly hit Yoongi's arm out of excitement.

"I highly doubt all these groups have pure original works." Yoongi judged the crowd before smacking Hoseok away.

"You think so?" Jungkook asked.

"I think hyung is just being negative." Jimin smiled.

"You don't know sh*t." Yoongi crossed his arms. Jimin instantly frowned at that.

"Yah! Don't be mean to Jiminie!" Hoseok growled.

"Hyung-nim wasn't being mean!" Jungkook quickly defended Yoongi.

"All of you are a mess." Taehyung shook his head. He smirked, grabbing a hold of his hyung's hand. "It's a good thing my hyung is leader."

"Don't get me killed, Tae." Namjoon sighed. Taehyung's face soured at the thought of something bad happening to his brother. Yoongi only rolled his eyes and kept Jungkook close. Hoseok did the same with Jimin. It was obvious that someone was feeling left out as you witnessed Seokjin trying to get closer to Jungkook. The bunny only ignored his uncle, staying close to his favorite hyung. "We're next in line."

"Already? That was quick," You commented.

Namjoon stepped forward as the group in front of you left. The boy behind the table looked young and tired. Despite that, Namjoon gave him a friendly smile. The rest of the boys came up close to see what was happening. All Namjoon had to do was write down an email, phone number, and the name of their group. You already told him beforehand what to write in for those. You would be in charge of dealing with all the business stuff. Namjoon appreciated that since it took some weight of responsibility off his shoulders. After that, each member had to write their own signature in agreement to participating.

Each of them went in order until their eyes were all on you. Seokjin stayed back, waiting for you to step forward. You slowly started realizing what was happening. Oh no, you never told them that you didn't want to be a part of the group. Six of them signed up and Namjoon already told the guy behind the counter that they had seven members. You laughed awkwardly as they kept their expecting gaze on you. They didn't understand why you weren't signing the paper already. You seriously should have told them earlier that you were fine working in the background. That was much more your style. Wincing, you bit your lip as you stepped towards the table reluctantly.

"No solo acts." The man sighed. You raised a brow at him and so did the other boys. He saw that, quickly frowning. "No co-ed groups either. Sorry."

"Wha-" Namjoon was about to start before you began laughing out loud. This is perfect! They can't screw it up for you!

"Hahaha! We were just joking!" You insisted. The tired male didn't seem in the mood for jokes though.

"Look, do you guys have a seventh member or not?" The man hovered his pen over the total amount of members on the paper. Hoseok and Yoongi pulled Namjoon closer in panic.

"We need a seventh member, Joon. It's too late to change the choreography! Seven is literally the perfect number! We need seven!" Hoseok hissed angrily.

"I'm too lazy to change the line distribution for the vocals." Yoongi crossed his arms. Namjoon groaned softly, frustrated with the way things had to turn out. He rubbed his forehead until his eyes landed on Seokjin who was standing there doing nothing. Namjoon instantly smirked with an idea. He walked over to the teacher, pulling him over by surprise to the table.

"W-What?" Seokjin furrowed his brows.

"This is our real seventh member! Come on, Hyung! _Sign up_," Namjoon said that last part a bit aggressively. Seokjin's eyes widened in shock. He slowly started shaking his head, laughing at what Namjoon was trying to pull.

"I'm assuming this is also a joke?" Seokjin gave a fake smile to the leader.

"...uh, how old even is he?" The man questioned. Seokjin froze at that to face the tired man with an offended look.

"He's 21. He meets the age requirement!" Namjoon lied.

"Mmm, are you sure you're 21? You don't look-" The man narrowed his eyes on Seokjin. It was in that moment that something inside Seokjin snapped. He stole the pen from the man with a furious expression. Namjoon even took a step back from the scene. You looked over to see Hoseok and Yoongi covering their mouths. Meanwhile the young ones were surprised to see who was actually going to be their seventh member.

"I AM 21! Don't I look 21? I wouldn't be anything else!" Seokjin huffed as he signed his name on the paper. You awkwardly looked around the room. A couple people were watching this while some pretended it wasn't happening. As you looked around, you felt like you saw someone completely disappear from your sight. Almost like they didn't want to be seen by you in particular. Those watching eyes. "I'm young! Fun! All of the above!"

"I'm sure-" The man was overwhelmed. Seokjin kept pointing his finger and raising his voice. You've never seen him like this.

"I'm Kim Seokjin! Remember that! KIM. SEOK-JIN!" He growled as he filled in his position on the paper. "Eldest of the group, vocal, and _visual_!"

"O-Okay, Sir-"

"No 'Sir'! How old are you?" Seokjin hissed. The man shrunk in his seat, completely terrified of the handsome stranger.

"T-Twenty."

"_Then you call me 'Hyung'_." Seokjin slammed the pen on the table. The man jumped and nodded his head without another question. The rest of the boys began cheering in the background. You couldn't believe what just happened. You stifled back a giggle as Seokjin turned around to face his new members. His face was red, but he was completely serious about the fight he just had with that man. You didn't think Seokjin would get so mad at someone for not thinking he was young. Seokjin huffed as he walked towards the exit. The rest of you followed him like little ducklings towards the front of the building. "Can you believe that guy? Well! I _am_ 21."

"Glad to have you on the team, Hyung." Namjoon ignored the lie. He held his hand out to get it shaked. Seokjin was still so furious that he didn't even see his leader's hand. Namjoon retracted his hand, trying to keep a smile on his face.

"Get ready to dance like your life depends on it, Hyung!" Hoseok cheered.

"So you're our oldest hyung now?" Taehyung smiled. Seokjin finally snapped out of his rage to get called 'hyung' by a thirteen-year-old.

"W-What?" Seokjin coughed.

"You caused quite the scene, Hyung." Jimin snickered.

"H-Hey now!" Seokjin frowned.

"You can't even be mad, Seokjin oppa." You grinned. Seokjin was finally realizing what he had just done. His ego took over and he was now signed up to compete in an idol contest. He stared at his hands, blinking at them quietly.

"Not again..." Seokjin whined.

"It's okay, Hyung. I'm actually really happy you're doing this with us." Yoongi happily patted his new teammate's back. Jungkook watched the interaction with huge eyes. He didn't think he would see Yoongi complimenting his uncle. Seokjin soon noticed the way the bunny's eyes were sparkling.

"You find this hyung cool?" Jungkook asked. Seokjin kept a tight smile, trying not to scream. He was going to have to get used to his nephew calling him 'hyung' now. Yoongi nodded and even wrapped his arm around Seokjin for good measure. Jungkook gasped with delight, quickly hugging his uncle. "Get ready to do intense practices with us, Hyung! We've got all break until the auditions!"

"...lovely." Seokjin patted Jungkook's back.


	32. Mini Concert

Ch.32

Until the auditions come, all of you will be working harder than ever before. Seokjin is officially a member of BTS whether he likes or not too. Though he was sulking during the entire car ride after signing up, he's done pretty well with keeping up with practice. He works hard during the dance rehearsals and his singing is always so magical. He's perfect for the team. You're so happy that you get to sit back and watch them grow from their hard work. Hoseok was back to dancing on his feet. He marked some of the hard moves, but he was glad to be back on track. Yoongi had Seokjin record his voice to all the songs they were planning on doing for the mini concert and for the contest. Namjoon and you were organizing everything together.

The mini concert was for everyone in BTS to finally perform together. It was for people at Midnight Measure to get a taste of them. A lot of the voting for the contest will be by viewers. This was one way of getting their attention. The purpose of the mini concert was also for people to see their teamwork. Not just between all of them, but with the rappers, the vocals, and other subunits. Namjoon was going to perform a song with Taehyung. Hoseok and Jimin were going to do a dance together. Lastly, Yoongi wrote a rap with Seokjin's voice in mind for singing as well as Jungkook's. At the end of the concert, all seven of them would perform together as BTS. It was so exciting.

You sat in the kitchen, sending an email to Midnight Measure. While you worked in the comfort of Namjoon's home, the rappers were outside warming up for dance rehearsal. The only vocal currently with them was Seokjin. He arrived early and without Jungkook. Yoongi quickly questioned that. Apparently, Jungkook had a sleepover at Jimin's place and Namjoon nodded. Taehyung was at that sleepover too. They should be coming over any second now. The door was left unlocked for them after all. And just as you thought about them, you heard the front door slam open.

"I'M HERE!!" Taehyung giggled. He's quickly embraced his deep voice. It was adorable to you. Standing up from the table, you walked over to the door frame to say hi to the kids.

"Hey—oh my God!" Your heart almost stopped beating. The second you screamed, the rappers came running inside. Seokjin ran in too, worried that something wrong had happened.

"(F/n)!? What's wrong!?" Namjoon looked you over.

"Is it a spider? Life threatening?? Talk to me!" Hoseok pleaded.

"Do you need me to call your parents?" Seokjin suggested.

"Holy sh*t." Yoongi laughed. The three males knitted their brows at Yoongi's opposite reaction. You slowly pointed at the sight that made you scream. You didn't mean to have such a reaction. It just took you by surprise is all. Namjoon, Hoseok, and Seokjin turn their heads to look at the three grinning boys. Their hearts stopped at the sight. Seokjin and Namjoon looked like they were going to faint the most.

"Do you like it?" Taehyung played with his blue hair.

"I like mine." Jimin stroked his pink hair.

"I only gave myself blonde highlights." Jungkook shrugged.

"Your Eomma is going to kill me!" Seokjin shrieked. He ran over to Jungkook and kept looking over his nephew's hair. Jungkook's original dark brown hair now looked like a sandy blonde. It was obvious that he had something done to it. Seokjin swallowed hard, praying that his older sister wouldn't throw him into outer space.

"She can't kill you if it looks good." Jungkook tapped his head as if he was a genius. Seokjin's soul had officially left his body.

"Kim Taehyung!!" Namjoon shouted.

"Looking nice, boys. A dye job always completes the look. Am I right?" Yoongi strutted over to them with his red dyed hair. Namjoon gave Yoongi a dirty look, not enjoying this bad influence. Hoseok carefully walked over to the pink baby chick. You eventually calmed down from the shock. The more you looked at the three boys, the more you liked how it looked. Their new hair fit them really well. You walked over to them, noticing that Jimin was holding a bag.

"I actually kind of like their hair." You shrugged as you took a peek in the bag.

"You're not helping." Namjoon frowned, touching Taehyung's electrifying blue hair. The puppy pouted at his older brother in hopes of convincing him that this was a good look for him. Namjoon sighed heavily, glad that his parents wouldn't have to see this.

"It's growing on me too." Hoseok nodded. That got Jimin to smile, happier with his new pink hair.

"That's great! We have hair dye for you guys too!" Jimin opened his bag. Hoseok's brows jumped and Namjoon wanted to make sure he heard that right. Yoongi began laughing loudly, clapping his hands together in excitement.

"You kids are the best!" Yoongi grinned.

"We have a dye for you too, Hyung." Jungkook smiled at his uncle.

"I am a teacher, Kookie." Seokjin's words only flew over the bunny's head.

"I'm not dying my hair!" Namjoon refused.

"But this is for the idol experience!" Taehyung begged.

"...what colors do you have?" Hoseok peeked in the bag.

The young ones immediately moved to Hoseok. They were glad this hyung was more open to the idea. Yoongi already had his hair dyed so they didn't choose a color for him. The three colors they bought were purple, blonde, and an orange-brunette color. Hoseok felt himself gravitating towards the more natural hair color. Once that was taken, Seokjin and Namjoon looked at each other intensely. It quickly became a race. Blonde versus a showier color like purple. Jimin tossed the colors in the air and they each caught one. Namjoon sighed at his color, hearing Taehyung quietly tell him that he should get a new hair cut while he was at it. Seokjin had his face scrunched together before slowly opening his eyes. He got purple and Namjoon ended up with blonde.

"So who's going to tell them we got our ears pierced?" Jimin asked.

It was Hoseok's turn to turn pale.

The boys had a lot to explain. Though it was too late to stop them, they did get some light scolding for doing so many things without permission. Jungkook was now a light brunette, Taehyung has electrifying blue hair, and Jimin has flower pink hair. All three of them got their ears pierced, but they all refused to state how they got it done. You just hope they got it professionally done. Hoseok was convinced they found a sewing needle and did it on their own like lunatics. Seokjin was internally crying, hoping his older sister wouldn't notice. Namjoon kept sighing and was left speechless. The only person proud of the boys was Yoongi. Then again, Yoongi already had his hair dyed a red wine color. His ears were also pierced too.

There wasn't much you guys could do. That's why you told the older boys to shake it off and carry on. There was no time to fall behind on practice. The young ones were told to stretch and warmup outside. Before you left for the kitchen, you heard Yoongi had other plans for his classmates and teacher. The boy evilly grinned as he grabbed them. Last thing you know, Yoongi shouted that he would be borrowing them for an hour. You gave him a weak smile as the slender male managed to drag three guys out all on his own. As long as he brings them all back in one piece then it's fine. An hour was the time limit though. If they took any longer, Yoongi was going to get a very angry call.

But an hour was all it took. Yoongi came back with a proud expression and you didn't know what to say. It was easiest for Yoongi and Hoseok to return to work. Yoongi was in the living room, cleaning up a couple songs meanwhile Hoseok danced with the kids. Namjoon and Seokjin were sitting on the porch outside. They were barely even watching Hoseok dance with the three youngest members. Since they weren't doing anything for a long time, you walked over to see if they were okay. They looked like they were screaming harder than ever inside.

"I'm going to get expelled." Namjoon touched his new blonde hair but avoided grazing his fingers against his new ear piercings.

"I'm going to get fired." Seokjin didn't even bother to touch his purple hair. He wanted to pretend like he wasn't coerced by a sixteen-year-old to get his ear pierced either. Seokjin got two piercings only on his left ear in hopes of it being less noticeable, but you don't think that worked. The only one without piercings was Hoseok and that's because he put up a fight. He allowed his hair to get dyed, but that's as far as he wanted to go. You're surprised Namjoon and Seokjin didn't fight as hard. Now the two were moping together on the porch. As they spoke out their concerns, Taehyung stopped dancing with his friends. He frowned at the reality of the situation.

"W-Wait. Will I get expelled for my hair?" Taehyung self-consciously touched it. Jimin and Jungkook stopped playing around. They frowned and looked at their hyungs for answers.

"No way!" Yoongi stepped out to stand next to you. He crouched down, placing his hands on Namjoon and Seokjin's shoulders. "And I'll make sure you guys stay at Sehwang. Trust me. You're untouchable if you know me."

"That's abuse of your power." Seokjin didn't like that. Namjoon's brows jumped and Hoseok stepped closer.

"You know Yoongi's situation?" Namjoon questioned.

"Of course I do! Every school staff member knows Yoongi and Myunghan's relationship!" Seokjin sighed. You looked over to see Yoongi roll his eyes. This was a surprise you didn't know about. Yoongi didn't look too shocked though. Did he know Seokjin knew?

"Yeah, and they all suck up to me! Except you, Hyung. It's no fair. I want an easy A." Yoongi huffed.

"Nope." Seokjin crossed his arms. The elder went on a speech about why he decided to become a teacher. It was a passion of his which was great for him. Everyone else stood awkwardly, not really wanting to listen to his spiel. Seokjin then went on to say that giving Yoongi a high grade for nothing would only be a disservice to him. He wants to be a great teacher where you actually learn things. Not stuff your mind before a test only to forget everything you learned. Jungkook was kicking his uncle's leg repeatedly in hopes of getting him to shut up. The maknae whined continuously until Seokjin forced him into a tight hug. Jungkook bit Seokjin's arm towards the end of his speech, making the purple hair jump in shock. "Yah! Your Eomma didn't raise you to be a brat!"

"Eomma always tells you that you talk too much!" Jungkook retorted.

"Like she's one to talk." Seokjin rolled his eyes.

"Don't say mean things about my Eomma!" Jungkook was ready to attack again. Seokjin flinched, covering his face for protection. You quickly stepped in the way to prevent anything from happening. Sometimes Jungkook really brought out a childish side from Seokjin. It always made your friends laugh to see their teacher revert back into a preteen. Seokjin even stuck his tongue out at Jungkook, considering this a victory in his favor. You're glad Yoongi was right behind him though. He smacked the back of Seokjin's head with a grin.

"Ow! I'm older than you!" Seokjin shouted.

"What's 21 minus 16?" Yoongi's grin grew as Seokjin's face became pink. "You're a math teacher, Hyung."

"This is bullsh*t," Seokjin mumbled. Yoongi laughed as you sighed heavily. Jungkook stopped struggling in your arms. He no longer felt the urge to kick his uncle. It sort of felt like you became the Mom for these seven boys. If any one of them were having a silly fight, you had to come in. You were lucky anytime Namjoon or Yoongi stepped in to fix it. Hoseok even helped at times. Hoseok mainly helped with the issues if it involved only the preteens. They listened to him the most since they found him hilarious. All the young boys would follow Hoseok or copy him at times. Letting go of Jungkook, your eyes landed on Taehyung who was poking Namjoon's shoulder. The blue hair still had a deep frown on his face.

"What about me? Am I going to get expelled?" Taehyung asked. Namjoon bit his bottom lip, unsure of what to say. They had two different principals. It's not like Yoongi's magic could help in their favor. Namjoon brought Taehyung into a hug to comfort him first. He looked over at Seokjin and Yoongi for answers. He wasn't certain if Taehyung would be sent home or not. It wasn't until Seokjin sighed that Namjoon let him answer.

"You won't get expelled. Neither you, Jimin, or Kookie." Seokjin crossed his legs. "The principal is an old classmate of mine. Our close tie is the main reason Jungkook goes to the private middle school in the first place. They won't be happy, but I'll convince them."

"Oh~ Is this abuse of power?" Yoongi teased to quickly get hit by Seokjin. Besides Jungkook, Yoongi also brought out the immature side of the teacher. The two started hitting each other like children. You walked over to separate them before anyone got hurt. Seokjin might as well have told the Soar Entertainment employee behind the counter that he was sixteen himself. Hell, thirteen would have worked too.

It was time to return to work. They were burning day light at this point. The mini concert was coming up soon. Posters were already getting printed and handed out at Midnight Measure. They were also posted on almost every building downtown. BTS is getting their name out there. You hope a large sum show up for the boys. They deserve a huge and wild crowd. Seeing them become alive on stage and connecting with their crowd was your reward. You wanted to feel that experience again that you got from the rappers. Midnight Measure easily became a huge fan of the rappers. Hoseok also now has a good reputation as a rapper which makes his two friends extremely proud of him.

Returning to your laptop, you watched the boys get back to work. Yoongi pulled Seokjin and Jungkook inside to record their voices to the latest song he wrote. It was extremely personal, but he wanted to perform it with them together. It meant a lot to the both of them. Jungkook getting to work with the hyung who saved him. Then Seokjin had the closest relationship with Yoongi out of all his students. Not only because Seokjin was happy that Jungkook had a good hyung in his life. It was because Yoongi didn't really trust adults, much less school faculty. The only one he trusted is Seokjin and that meant a lot to him. You think that's one of the many reasons he's stayed in BTS and works hard. There's really no escaping for Seokjin at this point.

Namjoon was practicing with Taehyung. The two were reviewing the song they had worked on. Apparently, Taehyung wrote some song lyrics out of inspiration from seeing his hyung's work. Namjoon added his own touch to make the song complete and come together. You've gotten to read the lyrics and it's a beautiful song. Now with Taehyung's deep voice, it sounds really beautiful when he sings it around the house. The puppy was so happy he was getting the chance to perform with his brother on stage. It was all he could ever ask for.

Then Hoseok and Jimin were practicing their dance together. They were working hard on demonstrating the dance capabilities of BTS. The dance they were performing showed the two sides of each dancer. Hoseok's background in street dance and Jimin's ballet with modern and contemporary. They eventually came together. It was a really powerful dance to a song Namjoon helped Hoseok write. Hoseok was really excited to perform this dance. The baby chick was a bit more hesitant since he had to do it all blindfolded, but Hoseok told him he would do fine. Jimin knew the moves and the timing. He's a trained dancer. There's nothing he couldn't do. Knowing that he had his hyung dancing with him, Jimin could dance confidently even without his sight.

Everything was coming to perfection. It was hard to control your joy for the mini concert. Days went on and the performances became cleaner. The rapper's improved their breath support, the singers became more stable, and the dances grew more in synch. All seven of them were learning how to move with each other. It didn't feel clunky or messy whatsoever. It looked so right every time you sat down to watch. They were looking more and more like a real idol group. It was now the night before the concert and break was coming closer to an end. With the excitement increasing, all of you were at Namjoon's house just to celebrate everyone's hard work.

"Everyone shut up! This is my song with Seokjin hyung and Jungkook." Yoongi pressed play. The rest of his members were laughing but were quickly shutting up. The music began to play and fill up the living room. Piano keys and strings greeted all of your ears. All of you stopped munching on snacks to hear Yoongi's personal and emotional rapping. Next thing you know, you heard Seokjin's singing. You loved it right away and when Jungkook joined in, singing in a falsetto. Both Jungkook and Seokjin were blushing to hear their voices but all of you were so proud. Especially with how beautiful their voices were. Yoongi began rapping again with more aggression as they two singers did background vocals. Most of the boys were closing their eyes with smiles.

They were listening to the emotion and music while you felt your throat tighten up a little. You were listening closely to Yoongi's lyrics as they really hit close to home. He rapped about not having a dream, but that you should be free to do so. You swallowed hard at the way he said each word. How going to school wasn't the answer to all your problems. It wasn't going to fix anything. Holding your drink tightly, you reflected as the song continued playing. You don't really have a dream, but you came to a prestigious school to avoid old friends and for hopes that it would help lead you to something bigger. What is your dream? You've never really felt extreme passion towards something except...you thought back on how you helped manage all the boys. Was it possible to make that into a career? Even though all of this is just for one contest.

You didn't even realize the song finished. The boys had to clap and cheer loudly for you to snap out of your thoughts. Quickly wiping your eyes, you softly clapped your hands for the three that did so well. Yoongi was patting Seokjin's back as the teacher was flood with compliments over his vocals. Jungkook was pink in the face from all the compliments he was getting too. They were all proud and you're glad they were. The song was absolutely beautiful. It has a powerful message. They've all worked so hard. You felt that tug at your heart again to work harder for them. To make all their dreams come true and to win that contest.

"Ah, I can't believe that was my voice. Does it actually sound that good?" Seokjin smiled. He looked over at Yoongi with a playful glare. "What are you doing to me? What's your plan?"

"To make you question your career choices, Hyung. What else?" Yoongi snickered.

"Okay! Time for everyone to listen to my song with my Hyung!" Taehyung rushed over to play his own song.

That's how the night was spent. Everyone listened to the hard work everyone had put in to make this mini concert come together. By the end of the night, you were sobbing about how proud you were. The preteens were so worried. They thought you were sad and were close to crying themselves. They kept saying 'something's wrong with noona'. No, you were fine. The rappers quickly went to hug and cheer you up. Thankfully Seokjin was there to actually give you a tissue so you could clean your face. It wasn't a pretty sight in your opinion. But now the boys knew how much this meant to you too.

Everyone was a bundle of nerves by the time the concert was about to begin. It was daytime, but all of you were at Midnight Measure. The little concert was being held at normal hours. Mainly so more people could see it and so the boys wouldn't have to deal with only a rapper crowd. Everything was set for the concert. The seven boys were in the backroom, waiting for the call to get on stage. People were still coming in as you stood at the very back again for the perfect view. This time Yoongi's fanboys couldn't make it. They all had to go to work but wished the group luck on their first concert. Nothing but pride bubbled inside you as the concert started.

It began with Hoseok and Jimin coming onto the stage. They stood at opposite ends, waiting for the music to start. Jimin remained in the dark with a blindfold over his face. Hoseok started moving his body the second his song began playing. His moves were sharp and intense. You were already lost in the performance. Soon a light came over Jimin and he knew it was his cue to go based off the music. It still left you amazed how Jimin could stay on beat and dance in his spotlight without drifting away from it. Even with all the turns he did, he finished by facing the crowd. You were probably the loudest person screaming for them. Once it was over, you pouted right away. You really didn't want their dance to end any time soon.

But you were excited for the next performance which was Namjoon and Taehyung. Once again, they came out on opposite sides. There was no choreography for their song. They only held their microphones and sang to each other. It started off with Taehyung's deep voice that was so soothing. Namjoon then came in with a rap that made you smile. Taehyung's box like smile appeared at the lyric where Namjoon said, '_I call you Moon Child_'. That name must have some significance between the two. You almost lost it when Namjoon began to sing.

"_We are children of the moon. I breathe the cold night air. Yes, we're livin' and dyin', at the same time. But you can open your eyes for now._" Namjoon smiled. He kept his eyes connected to his little brother. Taehyung admitted he was nervous to go on stage so Namjoon told the boy to keep his eyes on him. So Taehyung made sure to listen.

"_Your singing voice, that follows deep into the night. Brings the scarlet morning. One step, then another step. Dawn passes by and when that moon falls asleep. Then that blue light that was with me disappears_." Taehyung lowered his mic as he closed his eyes. He smiled, listening to his older brother's singing.

"_Your singing voice, that follows deep into the night. Brings the scarlet morning. One step, then another step. Dawn passes by and when that moon falls asleep. Then that blue light that was with me disappears_." Namjoon repeated and you let out an involuntary sigh. The song was so beautiful. It was another performance that ended too soon.

The stage went black. The next unit to perform was Yoongi with Seokjin and Jungkook. This song that they were about to perform easily became one of your favorites. It was something that should be heard by so many. You leaned further against the railing, watching a white light glow up behind Yoongi as he walked onto stage. You could see his outline while the front of him was still in the dark. It wasn't until he made it towards the end of the stage that a light above landed on him. He stared at the crowd silently for a few seconds before raising the microphone up to his lips. He started out breathy and you sighed at the lyrics.

"_It sucks when you don't have anything you want to do. I know it's pathetic to not have something as common as a dream, I know. You said to do as I'm told. That it would all be fine when I go to university._" Yoongi gritted his teeth as his words grew more personal. You wish the fanboys were here to watch this. It made you wonder if they ever got to see this side of Yoongi's rap. After Yoongi finished his first verse, he closed his eyes and looked up. Seokjin began to step out on stage right, his angelic voice making you smile instantly.

"_So far away, if I have a dream, if I have a dream that flies away._" Seokjin kept his eyes almost closed. He paused near Yoongi as Jungkook came out stage left, pausing as he hit his high note. Jungkook had been extremely nervous on messing that part up, but he did so well.

"_Don't fall away, yeah. If I have a dream, if I have a dream that flies away, oh, oh, oh._" Jungkook paused near Yoongi. The two stood behind Yoongi in the same line with only white light hitting them on the dark stage.

"_Dream_." Yoongi opened his eyes again, staring at the crowd.

Their performance was over in the blink of an eye. You felt really good about yourself at the end of it. The crowd was completely captivated into each performance. In particular, you began to notice a whole group of people who were stuck standing and watching. There was nine of them and they appeared to be friends. While everyone else was either seated or standing in the crowd, they were standing in the middle of a walk space. They hadn't moved since the beginning of the concert. Were they as mesmerized as you were? You chuckled to yourself as the lights began to change for the next stage. Smoke crawled on as the rapline came out with extravagant looking robes. When did they get those?

Namjoon started off calmly. The song was already very catchy, but the lyrics got you to smile wider. "_Even if you don't like me, you know me. Even if you don't like me, you know me. I like hate comments more than no comments. I don't know you, but you know my name._" Namjoon was a whole other person on stage. You cheered before noticing that group of nine whispering to each other. Something about them kept catching your eye. Narrowing your eyes on them, you didn't understand why they were all dressed in dark clothing. Baggy clothes, hoods up, and masks on their faces. Their outfits reminded you of the preteens when they snuck into Midnight Measure. It made no sense this time. It's still daytime and it's a public show. You bit your lip as the three rappers shouted on stage. Soon it was Hoseok's turn and that stole your attention away from the suspicious group.

"_But I can't be satisfied just being here. I'm climbing up there! High, high, high!_" Hoseok smiled throughout his entire part. The crowd was really enjoying his stage presence. You were so proud of how well he's gotten as a rapper. Even Namjoon and Yoongi were confident with him on stage. Perfect. Hoseok's entire verse left you jumping. He's so good! And then it became Yoongi's turn and your cheeks were hurting from how hard you were smiling.

"_Back, back to the basic microphone check. Call me a baepsae or bad@ss. Yes, in this rap game, I'm the generous one._" Yoongi was getting a lot of cheers. You noticed on the side that Hoseok was dancing and you shook your head. He better not overdo it. He's still healing up. "_Click clack to the bang, bang. Click to the pow._"

The three of them finished strong as expected. You nodded to yourself with a smirk as you felt your eyes move over to the nine figures again. A good amount of them were whispering to each other. Their hushed voices with a hint of panic. You pushed yourself away from the railing, tempted to see who exactly they were. That's when the vocal line came out on stage. Lights landed on them and you froze in your spot. You couldn't miss their performance at all. Staying still, you smiled softly as the song started with Taehyung right away. He was a lot more confident on stage as he sang and danced with the others. All four of them were singing about how dangerous a smile could be.

Dimple. Hearing the song made you squeal, especially any time Seokjin sang. There were a good number of girls in the crowd too. You noticed they were taking a liking to your teacher as well. His voice has really bloomed according to Jungkook. From no vocal experience to this, it really transformed. As the song reached its peak, Jungkook hit a high note. You cheered as Jungkook and Jimin continued to do adlibs throughout the entire song. They are going to get the biggest hugs from you once they finish this concert. Even Taehyung did a small one but was still too shy to get risky. Seokjin smiled and moved to the music so smoothly. The performance finished and you were ready for them to come together. Rap line came out to join the four others. Together, they were BTS.

Clasping your hands, you held your breath in. This was going to be their first live performance as BTS. You hope they leave a great first impression on the crowd. They have to. The boys and you were passing out flyers for this free concert at Midnight Measure. They've worked so hard. People will have to see that with their stage. The music came blasting in your ear with a police siren faintly playing. Namjoon started with talking before breaking out into rap, listing all of his favorite rappers and why hip hop was the genre he breathed in. After he aggressively finished, Jungkook's gentle vocal came in before they all started shouting 'hip hop'.

Taehyung began to sing in a light tone. It sounded so nice and you knew it must be hard for him to reach higher notes with his voice so naturally deep now. It then switched to Hoseok's turn. Once again, you listened the lyrics and hummed in approval. '_I'm still inexperienced as I write my resume, breaking down my namelessness, flying on stage. They helped me get up when I didn't know anything. The artist, ring that rang through my heart_' Hoseok walked around the stage like he owned it. Making his own world and embracing this new side of life that he has been able to achieve with the help of Namjoon and Yoongi. Jimin started to sing with the shouts of 'hip hop' and then Seokjin sang before Yoongi finally came in with his rap.

"_If loving this culture is a sin, I'll die a hundred times over!_" Yoongi growled.

"_I'll be down for your rap~ I'll be down for your rhythm~._" Jungkook sang soothingly.

"_It still makes my heart pound~ It makes me be the real me~._" Jimin smiled as he stood close to Taehyung. "_Yeah, I love this~._"

All the boys came together, jumping and getting excited any time they shouted those two words. "_HIP HOP_."

"_Has the scent of humans~_." Seokjin wrapped his arm around Jungkook, ignoring the maknae's little frown.

"_HIP HOP_."

"_Writing down my life_." Seokjin tried not to sigh as Jungkook slipped away to dance with his friends.

"_HIP HOP_."

"_Is now part of my life~ HIP HOP! Yeah, this ma ~ HIP HOP! Oh~_." Taehyung finished the song, a purple and blue light glowing down on all of them.

In less than an hour, their first ever concert was over. It was completely magical. The boys bowed and thanked everyone for coming. Some people stayed while others left. Quickly, all of them rushed backstage to celebrate. The real party would be starting at Namjoon's house as always. His house was where everything was done. As you went down to the ground floor, you noticed that the nine strangers had disappeared. Weird. You shrugged it off, trying to get to the seven boys as fast as possible. You entered backstage to see them hugging each other tightly. It was a big group hug that made you feel warm. Their teamwork was like no other.

"Noona!" Taehyung left the group hug to run into your arms. You were surprised but hugged him back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." You ruffled the puppy's blue fur before looking up to the others who were only shaking their head.

"As if our own manager is interrupting." Hoseok rolled his eyes.

"Manager?" You raised a brow at that.

"What else would you be?" Yoongi let his body fall onto a couch.

"That's basically what you are, (F/n)." Seokjin laughed. "Thank you for everything. You really pulled this event together nicely."

"That's very true. Let's all celebrate our hard work back at my place." Namjoon smiled and tapped Yoongi who was tired. "Come on, get up."

"Ugh, Kim Namjoon." Yoongi whined.

"Noona!! How did I do?" Jungkook ran over to you. Jimin's brows jumped and he felt the same curiosity. The boys rushed over to you, but Taehyung refused to release you from his hug.

"Noona, did you see me dance with Hyung? He did so good, right? How did I do?" Jimin bit his lip.

"You saw me sing with hyung-nim?" Jungkook tilted his head.

"What about me and my hyung?" Taehyung questioned.

"Of course, I saw it all. I'll tell you all about it back at Namjoon's though. A party awaits us." You grinned as all three of them miraculously grew more energetic. All their hyungs smiled at them before the eight of you finally exited Midnight Measure to head back home.


	33. Rivals

Ch.33

Seokjin stood at the stove, making pancakes for everyone. He wore an apron, smiling as he hummed to himself and it was the perfect image. Seokjin had volunteered to make breakfast for all of you. After the mini concert, the celebration party dragged on for a lot longer than intended. At that point a huge sleepover party was suggested. Even Seokjin stayed over to your surprise. He really felt like a close friend to all of you at this point. He wasn't just a teacher or Jungkook's uncle. Jungkook found it interesting to have his uncle around so much. Seokjin did enjoy it since he got to be more a part of Jungkook's life and find out what he was up to. Something Jungkook's mom can't always do.

Since Seokjin so kindly offered to make breakfast in the morning, Namjoon ordered everyone else to either clean up the living room from the party or set up the kitchen for breakfast. Namjoon, Yoongi, and you were in charge of the dinning table. Adding seats, bringing out plates, and things of that nature. Meanwhile Hoseok was with the three kids to deal with the bigger task. All of you had hoped that Hoseok would make sure to keep the children in check. It sounded like there was chaos going on and Namjoon regretted not working with them instead. There was just more screaming than there should have been.

There was a sudden loud crash that startled you. Seokjin yelped, accidentally flipping a pancake up to the ceiling. He clutched his heart and stared at it as it slowly fell on the ground. Namjoon didn't care about the little pancake incident. He sighed heavily, noting how alarmed Yoongi and you both were. That's when Jungkook ran into the room. He almost slipped, but he tried to act like he was collected. The maknae cleared his throat as he smiled nervously at all of you. Seokjin was too busy cleaning up his pancake while the rest of you crossed your arms.

"I promise we have everything under control." Jungkook chuckled, playing with his red sweater.

"I don't buy it." Namjoon began walking over.

"Seokjin hyung didn't raise a liar." Yoongi followed.

"N-No! Don't come!" Jungkook tried stopping them.

"What did you guys do?" You walked past the boy. The brunette was trying so hard to keep you from going inside. Next thing you know, you step into the living room to see Hoseok standing on the coffee table. He had both Taehyung and Jimin in headlocks. They were both tapping at his arms, begging for freedom and apologizing. What did those idiots do? There was one bag completely filled with trash while another one was open. Namjoon furrowed his brows and Yoongi was speechless. The president walked over to Hoseok, confused until he saw a smudge of cake on Hoseok's face.

"Can you let go of my brother?" Namjoon frowned. Hoseok sighed, releasing the blue haired boy. Taehyung immediately clung onto Namjoon like a koala. Jimin gasped, growing more panicked.

"What about me, Hyung!?" Jimin cried out.

"Him too. Why are you mad about a cake smudge?" Namjoon asked as Hoseok loosened his grip on the pink hair. Jimin slipped away, running over to Yoongi knowing that Hoseok wouldn't mess with the delinquent. Hoseok grumbled under his breath as he turned around, showing that it was more than just a cake smudge. It seems like the two boys had rubbed an entire piece onto Hoseok's back. Yoongi grimaced at the sight and Namjoon made a sharp inhale. You bit your lip and looked over at Jungkook who was mouthing that he wasn't a part of their nonsense. "I see...what is wrong with you?" Namjoon pinched Taehyung.

"Ow! Hyung!! Why would you do that?" Taehyung pouted. Namjoon kept a stern expression on his brother. Taehyung knew right away that he wasn't fooling anyone. He gave Namjoon a smile, trying to act cute. "Jiminie did it."

"That's not true! We both did!" Jimin huffed, pointing accusingly at the offended blue hair. Yoongi rolled his eyes, hating how immature they were behaving. He slammed his hand on Jimin's head, making the dancer swallow hard. "D-Don't kill us."

"Apologize properly to Hoseok. Then get ready for breakfast." Yoongi let go of Jimin. He turned around, returning back to the kitchen. Jimin was extremely pale but was thankful he was still breathing. Jungkook remained close to you knowing that his hyung wasn't in the mood to be dealing with this crap so early in the morning. You wrapped your arm around Jungkook, glad that he didn't throw any cake at Hoseok. Jimin and Taehyung both stood in front of their frustrated hyung, bowing deeply and apologizing endlessly. They were really regretting their actions now. Hoseok finally gave in, getting down from the coffee table.

"You're lucky the two of you are adorable." Hoseok petted the both of them. They smiled, thrilled that they were forgiven. "But next time...I will show you how to properly respect someone older than you." The two shivered at the threat, but continuously nodded with smiles. They eventually ran into the kitchen together out of fear. Namjoon shook his head at them before looking over at his friend.

"I have spare clothes you can borrow." Namjoon motioned him to follow.

"Thanks, Joon." Hoseok frowned, feeling the cake through his thin shirt.

Jungkook and you went back into the kitchen. Things were a lot calmer in here with Yoongi in the room. Jimin and Taehyung sat across from each other and were refusing to move. Maybe even breathe. Seokjin remained oblivious, serving pancakes for everyone. Yoongi patted the seat next to him, Jungkook happily running over. You sat down next to Jimin so he would relax. He must have not enjoyed being kept in a headlock by his favorite hyung. Jimin looked up at you with a gentle pout. The baby chick was still trembling, so you whispered that Hoseok is mainly all bark and no bite. He wouldn't actually hurt them. You hugged him too by the time Namjoon and Hoseok were coming to the table.

Hoseok immediately gave Jimin a hug and sat down next to him. Namjoon sat next to Taehyung, telling the boy to not put too much syrup on his pancakes. Taehyung only slightly listened and Namjoon laughed to himself. You ate, surprised with how good a simple pancake could taste. Others at the table were impressed too. The only one who wasn't was Jungkook who nibbled quietly. Seokjin blushed and waved off all your compliments about his cooking. It was completely true though! He sat down next to Jungkook, watching his nephew eat with a grin. Jungkook didn't really focus on what his uncle was doing.

"Come on, Jiminie." Hoseok tried feeding the boy a tiny piece of his pancake. Jimin shook his head, sticking to his own food. "I didn't mean to scare you so much."

"...it's fine," Jimin mumbled.

"Please, Jimin-a," Hoseok begged. Soon Jimin hesitantly turned and ate the pancake. That got Hoseok bouncing in his seat, shouting how cute his little brother is. At that point, Jimin and Hoseok were completely okay again. Seokjin saw that, feeling inspired and turning to Jungkook. He tapped Jungkook's shoulder and held up a tiny piece of pancake.

"Eat some." Seokjin smiled.

"No. I'm too old for that." Jungkook stuffed his mouth with his own pancake. That's when Yoongi tapped the bunny's shoulder. The young boy faced his hyung, seeing Yoongi trying to feed him. Before Yoongi could say anything, Jungkook happily ate it. "Thank you, Hyung-nim!"

"No problem." Yoongi looked over at Seokjin who pursed his lips. "Hey Jungkook-a, why don't you accept your uncle's offer? That's not nice."

"It's just...ah..." Jungkook faced his sad uncle. Seokjin quickly perked up though, bringing the pancake near Jungkook's face. Jungkook ate it and returned to his own plate quietly. Seokjin held in his squeals, mouthing 'thank you' to the delinquent. You giggled to yourself to be witnessing all of this.

Even Namjoon was getting fed by Taehyung. There wasn't much Namjoon could do. The little puppy kept trying to give Namjoon more and more. You slowly pushed the glass of milk closer to Namjoon so he wouldn't choke. He looked grateful, taking a break from getting stuffed. Taehyung pouted and quickly got bored. He shoved a pancake in his own mouth before taking out his phone. The puppy scrolled through without a care until something caught his eye. He coughed, shocked at what he was seeing. Namjoon grew alarmed, checking Taehyung right away. The panicked older brother shoved the glass of milk towards Taehyung who already calmed down.

"You scared me." Namjoon sighed.

"S-Sorry." Taehyung brought the phone closer to his face.

"Everything okay, Tae?" You questioned. He didn't say anything as he continued to focus on the screen. He looked upset and confused which was worrying you.

"Hey Tae, no phones at the table." Namjoon reminded him, reaching to take away his brother's phone. Taehyung's eyes widened and he instantly shook his head.

"No! Stop!" Taehyung stood up from the table. Everyone stopped eating to stare at him with looks of utter bewilderment. What was making him act like this? He bit his lip, slowly showing his phone to Namjoon. "I was checking the reviews of our concert. We got one hate comment..."

"What!?" Jimin and Jungkook stood up.

"Why? But I thought we did good." Jimin frowned.

"They're stupid! They don't know what they're talking about!" Jungkook stomped his feet. Seokjin put his hand on the bunny, trying to calm him down. Yoongi and Hoseok had the same reaction as you and Namjoon. There was one hate comment? You were surprised there were any comments online about the concert in general. Hoseok couldn't get over the surprise while Yoongi left his seat to go read it. Namjoon was reading it over and over again. You got up from your own seat to check it out. The others began to do the same, Seokjin even mumbling that all of you worked so hard. How could they have received hate? Namjoon read the comment out loud, leaving all of you mystified.

"Their performance was mediocre at best. They have a bunch of wannabe rappers who think they've made it big already hahaha. Then their vocals are all over the place. They're lucky they can dance. Barely." Namjoon gritted his teeth with the other boys growling behind him. You were getting pretty heated yourself. It wasn't until Namjoon read the last part that all of you tilted your heads. "Stan D-Crunch."

"Who the f*ck—? Yah!" Yoongi shouted at Hoseok who tried to stop him from swearing.

"I've never even heard of them," Taehyung mumbled.

"Who do they think they are?" Jimin crossed his arms.

"You think one of those D-Crunch people wrote this?" Jungkook asked. It was a good question. You just didn't have the answer. All of you read it again, unable to look away except for the three kids. They were huddled in their own corner, typing away at their phones besides Taehyung. Hoseok finally got himself to look away.

"I don't get why people write hate comments." Hoseok frowned. "Why spread that kind of negativity?"

"Because some people are just sh—"

"Found out who they are!!" The young boys interrupted Yoongi. All of you quickly faced them in interest. How did they find out so quickly? Maybe they were actually a popular group. Though from the looks of it, they seemed just as unknown as your group of boys. The group appeared to be made out of nine members who often performed at little events. Hoseok clicked his tongue, seeing as they had more performing experience. Still...that didn't make the comment any more justified. Jungkook smirked to himself, holding his phone up high.

"They're performing somewhere tomorrow, but I bet no one is going to show up! Because they're losers!" Jungkook shouted.

"Listen Kookie, I know that hate comment hurt. Trust me, it makes me mad too but saying mean things back won't help anyone," Seokjin told the angry bunny.

"What are we gonna do?" Taehyung looked at Namjoon excitedly. The second the puppy said that, the bunny and baby chick grew interested. They rushed over to Namjoon for answers. The president grew overwhelmed, unsure why they were looking at him. He glanced up nervously at each of you.

"We're supposed to do something?" Hoseok's brows puckered together.

"Shouldn't we just ignore it?" You shrugged your shoulders. "This was bound to happen. It's not like we could avoid it."

"Honestly, f*ck those guys. We should check out what they got if they want to talk so big." Yoongi scowled. "I hate people like them."

"Wait, so we're gonna show up to their own event?" Seokjin's brows jumped. He looked over at Namjoon, nervously trying to keep a cheering Jungkook under control. "A-Are we really going to be so bold?"

"You're the oldest! Tell them no way." You shook your head. "Guys, we should just work harder. It's really nothing."

"Let's show up!" Yoongi shouted, getting instant support from the three children. This was getting out of hand. You looked over at Hoseok who only shrugged and turned away. There was nothing he could do. You look at Seokjin again who stayed speechless. The most he could muster up was a bunch of stutters before giving up. Your eyes then drifted over to Namjoon who was deep in thought. "You're the leader, Kim Namjoon! You get to call the shots!" You didn't know what to expect. Either way, you knew that whatever Namjoon says, it's going to happen. All the boys in the room stared at Namjoon in anticipation. The leader sighed as he came to his final answer.

"We go."

*~*

This is a mistake. There's no reason as to why the eight of you should be stuffed in a car the next day. You were so close to throwing a pancake at Namjoon's face. Why are all of you going out of your way to see the people who probably left the hate comment? It made no sense. Things would have been so much better if you guys didn't spend your last couple days of break like this. Besides Namjoon's disappointing answer as leader, you were also disappointed in Seokjin. He was the one driving you guys after all. He was the eldest and a teacher. You expected more from him, but you were wrong to do so. He was driving while you sat with your arms crossed. The rest of the boys were being loud in the back, the young ones mainly talking trash.

"We are going to be calm once we arrive. Do all of you understand?" You shouted. All of them shut up, looking over at you with slight fear. You were just a bit frustrated. Somehow you managed to even scare Yoongi with your uncontrollable tone. Seokjin flinched as well, but you weren't angry. You sighed, trying your best to show that you weren't mad. "Listen, all I'm saying is that we should at least be respectful to their performance. We shouldn't act low in return."

"(F/n)'s right. If I catch any of you acting rudely then we're leaving right away," Namjoon stated.

"Do you hear that, Kookie?" Seokjin looked at the brunette through the rearview mirror. Jungkook grumbled under his breath, promising to do his best. He was the angriest one out of the boys. Taehyung was second and Jimin was more saddened than anything. Seokjin began to turn into a parking lot, raising his brow at the place. "Uh, are you guys sure this is the place they're performing at?"

"Yeah. That's what it says." Taehyung stared at his phone and nodded. Seokjin shrugged, parking the car near the front. From the looks of it, they would be performing outside. There was big building that confused you. It was a facility for the elderly to be taken care of. They were performing at an old home? All of you got out of the car in slight confusion. The guys who left your boys a hate comment were performing here? Possibly...

Namjoon led the way, pointing out that there was a sign directing for visitors to go around the building. The home was having a special event it seemed. You read it and it appeared to be for grandchildren to spend time with their grandparents. All of you walked on the grassy area to find a bunch of fold out seats in front of a stage. Old folk music was playing in the meantime as people waited. You took a seat, still not believing the fact that you were here. Namjoon sat down next to you with Taehyung quickly joining the both of you. The puppy was excited to see the show, practically forgetting that these guys might have been the ones to have left a hate comment. He was handling it a lot better than his friends.

Hoseok sat down with his arm around Jimin. The baby chick was playing with his sleeves. He was so worried that these guys would be total professionals. He feared that they would make their own stage look pathetic. Luckily, Hoseok was good at trying to make Jimin forget all about that stuff. Just enjoy the performance about to come. Meanwhile Jungkook sat down with Yoongi and Seokjin beside him. The bunny was scoffing endlessly, insulting everything he could. Even making a comment about how long the grass was. Seokjin petted his nephew, telling him not to be so hateful at his age. Then Yoongi agreed, telling Jungkook not to hate so pointlessly or else Namjoon was going to make you guys go back. All of you came here for one specific reason.

The seats began to fill up with families as the music quieted down. You could hear more of the chatter of people speaking now. The only ones who went completely silent were you and the boys. They kept their attention straight forward. None of them wanted to miss what this group had to offer. A person then went on stage, adjusting their glasses as they read their note cards.

"We'd like to welcome our entertainment for this evening...D-Crunch? Uh, onto this stage. Thank you." The old man clapped his hands with not much interest. He looked so addled when reading their group name. He only shrugged it off, leaving the stage as people clapped for the group. That's when the red curtains were pulled open to reveal nine boys. All of them were dressed in their pajamas which you found interesting. It seemed their age ranged from yours with the rappers to the young preteens. They were the perfect age for entering the competition held by Soar Entertainment. That's when the music started.

"_Honestly, I don't wanna wake up in the morning. I just wanna lay in bed. With these thoughts, I start my day. What a mess! Clean up!_" You were taken by further surprise. They were acting pretty cute on stage with a lot of enthusiasm and strong facial expressions. It actually made it easy for you to warm up to them, especially with seeing their dancing.

"_My body doesn't feel like a body. It aches and it feels heavy, I wanna rest today._" A boy with circle rimmed glasses sang. There were nine members and from what the preteens told you, they had six rappers and three vocals. That was interesting as you witnessed their performance. The song was about wanting to be lazy and not wanting to do anything. You looked at your friends, seeing them completely focused on the boy group. Seokjin was swaying in his chair while the preteens were completely fixated. They were no longer fidgeting anymore.

The song began to dial down a bit as a vocal took center. "_I'm closing my eyes and emptying my head. Just laying in bed and looking at the ceiling. Throwing all my worries away. I want to rest~._" He sang before a boy with a baby face came up to him and said, "_But Hyung, isn't this work too?_" which got a chuckle out of the preteens. The second that question was asked, all nine boys on stage began to go crazy. They began to shout their lyrics, filled with a newfound adrenaline. They were also making a bunch of sound effects which got a giggle to slip from your lips. Where these boys actually the ones who left that comment? It was hard to believe they were as the song came to an end. Everyone clapped as they bowed and left, cheering that their stage went well.

"That...was not what I was expecting," Yoongi started.

"I kinda liked it." Hoseok shrugged.

"I guess we should start heading back, huh?" You stood up.

"No! I want to go meet them!" Jungkook jumped onto his feet. The second he said that, Jimin and Taehyung were on board. Sometimes the little zoo was too much to handle.

"Yeah! I want to ask them about the comment!" Taehyung shouted.

"Me too! I want to know if it was really them!" Jimin nodded, holding his tiny fists close to his chest. The little zoo ignored you whenever you told them 'no'. They quickly looked over at Namjoon who was rubbing the back of his neck. Seokjin whistled to himself, not wanting to make a decision. Yoongi and Hoseok didn't see too much harm in talking to the boys backstage. That led to Namjoon agreeing and you followed them again with a heavy sigh. So much for being manager.

You went with the seven boys towards the stage. The eight of you had to be secretive since this was a planned and directed event. None of you were here to visit an elderly person. It looked like that would be the only performance by D-Crunch today. Avoiding bumping into any unwanted people, the eight of you managed to get to the back area. It looked like they had a clown about to go up and two kids in roller skates. This wasn't the exact image you had in mind. It wasn't hard to find the nine boys though. They were all jumping around, grabbing their things and already talking about finding some place to eat. They didn't stop talking until Namjoon walked up to them with the rest of you following behind. All of them froze instantly, swallowing hard and sweating. That was automatically suspicious.

"H-Hello? Do you need help?" One male asked.

"We just wanted to congratulate all of you on your performance." Namjoon smiled, but all of you knew there was more he had to say. The members of D-Crunch all looked at each other nervously before giving you guys nervous smiles. They bowed, all of them thanking you guys. They thought things were going to end there until Taehyung jumped forward with his phone.

"Was it you guys who left us a hate comment!?" Taehyung yelled. They all stiffened up, most of them glancing over to a boy who was trying to hide his eyes with his bangs.

"Ah...sorry about that. We don't quite know what you're talking about though."

"Don't lie!" Jimin pouted.

"We're not!" The one who tried to hide his eyes shouted. You finally got a good look at his face, seeing he was the one with a baby face. Jungkook stared at him silently. His brows were knitting together the longer he stared at the baby face. Jungkook eventually gasped, rushing over to point a finger at him.

"You're the one who was stalking me and my friends!!!" Jungkook claimed. Immediately all of you were alarmed to hear that. They were getting stalked? Why didn't Jungkook mention any of this!? Yoongi instantly grew protective over the maknae and Seokjin crossed his arms with a huff. All the members of D-Crunch were growing hot in their pajamas. They were red in the face, obviously knowing that this has been happening. Namjoon was in utter disbelief as he stared at the group you guys knew nothing about. What was their problem? "You were making me paranoid! I thought the homeless man was watching us until I saw you at my school!" Jimin shivered at the mention of the homeless man from the news.

"We should probably introduce ourselves..." The one who did most of the speaking sighed. "I'm Kim Sangchan, but I go by O.V. I'm the leader of D-Crunch."

"I'm Kim Namjoon. Leader of BTS." Namjoon motioned to his own group of boys.

Everyone slowly introduced themselves. There was Ji Hyunwook who was a vocal and the eldest. The second oldest was Lee Hyunho who was a rapper. If you were being honest, he caught your attention the most. Those two were in the same grade as you and your friends, first years in high school. Then there was Park Hyunoh, a vocal and Baek Hyunwoo, another vocal. Right away, you were surprised with how similar their names were. They chuckled at everyone's reactions. It must be something they get often. The rest were rappers. Kim Minhyuk who with Hyunoh, Hyunwoo, and Sangchan were ninth graders in middle school. Kim Chanyoung was an eighth grader and lastly the two youngest were in seventh grade. The same as the preteens. Park Jeongseung was the second youngest and all that was left was the maknae to introduce himself.

"Park Yeonjae, but I go by Dylan! So call me Dylan!" He pouted, his baby face making him look like he should still be in elementary school.

"So Yeonjae, why were you stalking me?" Jungkook questioned.

"It's Dylan! And...we had to check out the competition," Dylan answered. It seemed like Sangchan and Hyunwook wanted Dylan to stop talking. He was revealing too much. It was mainly Hyunwook who went to collect Dylan, quickly covering their maknae's mouth.

"Look, don't worry about us. We're just doing our own thing." Sangchan chuckled as he dismissed everything that was happening. You looked over at your own rap line. They weren't quite buying it. All of you could assume that Dylan wrote the hate comment out of pure childness, but there was something else going on. They all knew Dylan was watching BTS's young vocals. That right away began to remind you of all the times you felt like you were being watched. It was making you paranoid to believe that this group went that far against potential competition. Were they really that intimidated by BTS? Another thing you remembered were the strange nine figures during the mini concert. This was getting out of hand as you connected all the dots.

"No way...you guys have been stalking us for a while now!" You frowned. They immediately shook their heads, all denying it. At this point, Hoseok, Yoongi, and Namjoon were on your side. Seokjin was beyond confused on what was going on. This wasn't what he signed up for.

"We've barely just met you guys! Please, we're so sorry for the trouble you guys have been feeling, but we're not responsible." Hyunoh stepped in, bowing to all of you. Though he seemed sincere, you wanted to receive an actual apology. One where they admitted that they had been watching you guys under a microscope. Soon one of the boys in the back moved himself to the front, walking up to Hoseok. Hoseok stared at the boy in surprise.

"Oh! Hoseok sunbaenim, I just wanted to say that I got to see your performance at the mini concert!" Hyunwoo, the boy who were glasses beamed. He bowed and Hoseok began to grin. The rest of Hyunwoo's members smacked their faces. In that second, he admitted that they had seen BTS's mini concert. "You're really great a dancing and rapping. You also really enjoy yourself on stage! It's very admirable!"

"Aw, you can just call me 'Hyung'!" Hoseok grinned.

"Hyunwoo, what the hell?" Hyunwook hissed.

"Shut up. I'm talking to my idol." Hyunwoo quickly retorted before turning to Hoseok with a friendly smile. Hyunwook looked close to strangling his teammate and Yoongi felt the same with the way Hoseok was reacting. The orange haired male was basking in the compliments already. It took a lot out of Yoongi not to hit his teammate in front of a bunch of people. With Hyunwook growling at his dongsaeng, Dylan slipped away to run over to Taehyung. The puppy looked confused and cutely tilted his head.

"Y-You're actually pretty good too. You make great facial expressions and stuff..." Dylan admitted. In that instance, Taehyung hugged the boy.

"What is going on?" Yoongi questioned to no one in particular. You weren't quite so sure yourself. Eventually Hyunoh inched his way towards Jimin, energetically telling the boy that his dancing was amazing. The baby chick was shocked to have a fan just like Taehyung and Hoseok. You could already see Jimin's ego growing. Especially since Hyunoh was older than him but speaking to him respectfully. The rest of the members of D-Crunch were sighing, but no longer trying to play innocent. They were caught and already revealing their own secrets on their own.

"What happened to not knowing us?" You raised a brow at Hyunoh.

"Oh, I lied!" Hyunoh laughed.

"Today has been successful," Jeongseung said sarcastically. Hyunho quietly nodded as Sangchan tried to think of something. Some of his members were already fans and were publicly stating it. Hyunwook finally cleared his throat, making the members return.

"I thought we weren't supposed to be friendly with them." Chanyoung looked at his hyungs for answers. Most of them were pulling themselves together. They let themselves slip but were putting on tough expressions. Even if they considered themselves fans, they were glaring at BTS and you.

"I'll admit, this wasn't how things were supposed to go," Sangchan said.

"How were things even supposed to go?" Seokjin was incredibly lost.

"I think things have gone well." Jimin smiled to himself.

"Ah, we tried acting tough." Minhyuk broke out of his glare, a bit embarrassed. All of you stared at them as they kept a strong stance. You weren't quite sure what you guys got yourself into. D-Crunch has seen the mini concert and has kept their eyes on all of you. Though they were trying to act intimidating, they kept slipping out of it unintentionally. That's when Hyunho raised his finger to point directly at all of you to speak for the first time.

"BTS is our rival and D-Crunch is yours."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I'm gonna break my no author's note once again to explain some things. New characters have been added and nine in total! That's a lot to take in and I bet it's overwhelming. Especially with four of them having extremely similar names! Well, I'm here to tell you that they're real people and that I love them with all my heart! They're my second favorite boy group and our fandom, Dianas, we're extremely small so I understand if y'all have never heard of them. I'll try and help break them down to you guys with a photo and leave a link to k-profiles! I'll do my best to slowly introduce them as the story goes on and hopefully promote them uwu the song above is the one they perform in the story too by the way!
> 
> I'll try and help break them down to you guys! I'll do my best to slowly introduce them as the story goes on and hopefully promote them uwu the song above is the one they perform in the story too by the way.
> 
> Kim Sangchan/O.V./leader/rapper || Ji Hyun-wook/main vocal/eldest || Lee Hyun-ho/rapper || Baek Hyun-woo/vocal || Park Hyun-oh/vocal || Kim Minhyuk/rapper || Kim Chanyoung/rapper || Park Jeongseung/rapper || Park Yeonjae/Dylan/maknae/rapper
> 
> The group irl does some things differently, but I made it simpler in here. They would normally say that Hyunwook is also a leader and that Jeongseung is also a maknae, but it's already confusing enough I'm sure so I'll slow my roll. I'll leave you with a youtube channel that has short one minute introductions of each of the members if you're interested! Thank you!)


	34. Auditions

Ch.34

_"BTS is our rival and D-Crunch is yours."_

What in the world?

That comment hasn't fully settled. All of you returned back to Namjoon's house utterly speechless. You guys are supposed to be rookies. The boys didn't expect to get fans or haters so quickly. Much less specific rivals! They haven't even auditioned to be in the contest! Who knows if BTS will get accepted into the competition? Who knows if D-Crunch will get accepted? All of you were sitting in the living room, staring blankly at nothing. It made no sense on how BTS already has rivals. The boys didn't know whether to accept it and grow competitive or ignore it. After Hyunho said that, all of you became extremely awkward. It was just something you never expected to hear.

Namjoon kept opening his mouth to say something but would inevitably close it. Yoongi would do the same and do a quick head tilt. What did they expect the boys to do with that information? Hoseok was frowning, clearly not wanting to have rivals of any kind. He just wanted to participate in a contest and wish everyone good luck. The preteens were beginning to fall in that same area. After meeting the members, they felt less anger about the hate comment. Jungkook didn't even feel like fighting Dylan anymore. Then Seokjin was contemplating his life. He wanted to know if it was worth being rivals to a group of nine kids.

"What am I doing?" Seokjin finally broke the silence. Yoongi quickly jumped into action, punching his teacher's shoulder.

"You're a part of this team! It's too late to leave so don't even think about it!" Yoongi growled.

"Ouch! Okay!" Seokjin grumbled. He rubbed his arm as Yoongi relaxed. Anytime Seokjin felt unsure about being in BTS, Yoongi took it upon himself to lightly abuse Seokjin. You're surprised the older man just takes it instead of scolding Yoongi.

"So...we have rivals now apparently," Namjoon spoke.

"I really don't want any." Hoseok shook his head. He really enjoyed the tiny conversation he had with Hyunwoo. From the impression you got from all of them, they seemed like nice kids. They clearly have been trying to make it together for a while now. They were all synchronized and close with each other. Entering this contest was definitely good for them. The boys and you weren't sure if you guys wanted to consider them rivals though. "Why can't we be friends?"

"I like friends!" Taehyung grinned.

"Me too!!" Jimin bounced in his seat.

"Yeah, I'd like to befriend Yeonjae." Jungkook swung his feet back and forth.

"Didn't he say he prefers Dylan?" Seokjin stared at his nephew. The bunny was in his own world though. It didn't look like Jungkook would be calling their rival's maknae by the name 'Dylan' any time soon.

"How about this? Let's just call them our rivals, but not really worry about it? They already suck at being rivals." Yoongi suggested. "They were acting more like fans than anything."

"I guess that works." You sighed. "Yoongi's right though. Let's no worry about them since you guys will end up competing with a bunch of teams if you pass the auditions. Just work hard for your audition and forget all about that rival business."

"Good call. Our audition is in two days and that's the last day of our winter break. We should really polish what we've got so we can audition confidently." Namjoon stood up. He clapped his hands, making everyone stand up with him. A lot of them whined, but not because of practice. The break was coming to an end and you really didn't want to go back to school. Seokjin chuckled in amusement, watching all the children groan and complain about school. He rolled his eyes and walked outside where dance practice is usually held. The rest of them followed suit as Namjoon kept motivating them to give it their all. If they feel confident in their performance during rehearsal then they'll be able to breeze through the audition like professionals. You agreed, going out to sit on the porch to watch them.

When the boys practiced, they actually appeared a lot more motivated than you had ever seen them. The seriousness of the competition was becoming real. A lot of them refused to take a five-minute break when you called one. Then wanted to do the dance one more time. Maybe having a rival was good for them. Anytime one of the boys made a mistake, they had to postpone break by doing it one more time. Hoseok was going a lot harder on his teammates. He wasn't mean to them, but he was pushing them further. He knew they could do better and was asking them to show their best. All seven of them were dripping in sweat by the time they actually stopped for a break.

That only added more work on your part, but you didn't mind. You passed out cold water bottles that you had put in the fridge earlier. Namjoon also told you where he kept a bunch of spare towels. You gave it all to them so that they would cool down. Some of them chugged down their bottles completely while some drank halfway and pressed the cold bottle against their head. All of them were panting heavily, but they weren't ready to call it a night. Despite the sun getting close to going down, they wanted to keep going. The outside lights were turned on as the boys continued, working harder than ever before and spending hours just to perfect their routine.

Soon there was only one day before the audition. All the members wanted to meet early in the morning at Namjoon's house. Mostly everyone could make their schedule work. You were going to be a tad bit late since you had to clean up the house. Your parents were finally coming back. Grandpa is doing better so everyone in the family is incredibly relieved. It was great news to hear. You were also happy to have your parents back. As much as staying over at Namjoon's house and having one of the boys stay over has been fun, you miss your parent's cooking. You fixed everything up to your Mom's standards by the time you got a text from Jimin.

Jimin was the other only person who couldn't get his schedule to work out. He wanted really badly to show up early, but his parents had him working the morning shift. He's been working since seven in the morning, but he was almost done. You looked at the time to see that it was close to one in the afternoon. That's when he's finally free to rehearse with his members. Sometimes it was hard to believe Jimin had a job or at least was made to work as his chores. He's been at it for six hours today. As you stepped out of your house, you made your way over to the convenience store. Jimin wanted to know if you wanted to walk over to Namjoon's house together. You could use a little buddy to talk to.

Everything was fine in that moment. The temperature was finally started to raise little by little. You were excited for spring to come. You like walking around the neighborhood to see so many bright colored flowers. It was your favorite thing to see. Then all the boys were so amazing to watch. You could never get bored of the show they put on. They're going to be serious competition if they get accepted into the contest. Maybe that's why they already have rivals on their backs. And as if by magic, you turned the corner to see one of their rivals leaning against the wall. He was on his phone, waiting and standing near the door of Jimin's convenience store.

You swallowed hard, not sure if he would remember you. He would remember the boys for sure. The main reason you were sweating more than normally was because he was the one who caught your eye. Lee Hyunho was his name? Biting your lip, you told yourself to just walk into the store. Do it without a care! He's too focused on his phone anyway. As you took a step forward, you froze again. He's waiting. Does that mean there are others? It's funny how once you guys caught them, they no longer try to hide in the shadows. Fine then. Here goes nothing! You walked over to the door, opening it and stepping inside without any problem. Huh. That was a lot easier than you thought it would be. Did he really not see you?

"Choose something already! You're ridiculous!" A voice laughed with a hint of frustration.

"There's so many options though...ah, seriously. Give me five more minutes," Another voice replied, clearly trying to annoy the other. You walked down the aisle, seeing two near the drinks section. You were right! Hyunho is waiting for his own members! Hyunwook had his arms crossed, tapping his arm as he released a heavy sigh. It was Hyunwoo, the boy with glasses who was testing his patience. Did they know that Jimin worked at this convenience store? They had to know. It was so strange to witness.

"Hello!" Someone tapped your shoulder. Jumping into the air, you almost knocked down a bunch of crackers from their shelf. That was a close one. Your heart was racing rapidly as you saw the person who wanted your attention. It was Hyunoh. Great, all the Hyun's were here with their confusing names. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya!"

"...uh." You weren't so sure if you were allowed to talk to rivals. Any rivals of the boys were your own. To be honest, you've never had a rival before. Were there rules to this?

"I don't bite at all! I just saw you watching my friends so I figured I would say hi." Hyunoh laughed. You were still awkward and shocked while he was extremely friendly. It was hard to know how to react.

"Who are you talking to?" Hyunwook came over, his eyes widening to see you. "It's you! Cha (F/n)!"

"Ah! S-Something Hyunwook!" You pointed back at him. This is how rivals treat each other, right? Hyunwook's eye twitched.

"_Ji_ Hyunwook." He sighed. You were about to apologize before Hyunwoo came over giggling. He wasn't even trying that hard to hold back his laughter. It only irritated his hyung further.

"He's really not that memorable, I know." Hyunwoo grinned. "Remember me?"

"Baek Hyunwoo?" You didn't quite have all their names down. Especially with four of them having such similar names. It was throwing you off, but you managed to get it right. Hyunwoo clapped and was proud to be remembered. Going as far as casually rubbing it in Hyunwook's face.

"You ain't sh*t! These aren't even real!" Hyunwook tore off Hyunwoo's glasses. The male gasped, watching as Hyunwook stuck his finger through where glass was supposed to be.

You pursed your lips, watching them bicker while Hyunoh only hummed and occasionally laughed. Where is Jimin? You tried stepping away from them, but Jimin came running towards you. Finally! The baby chick launched himself at you with the biggest grin. It took you by surprise, but you mustered up all your strength to hold him. It wasn't long before his feet were touching the ground. He's a growing boy and you need a warning before you carry someone's weight. Jimin giggled, happy to be free from work and to head on over for practice. He was bouncing around until he turned around, happily waving at his rivals. So he knew? You were taken aback at how friendly Jimin was being.

"Bye, Hyung!" Jimin waved.

"Done with work already?" Hyunoh tilted his head.

"Appa is going to take over. Thanks for visiting Oh-hyung!" Jimin smiled. He turned over to the others, glaring at them which managed to make them stop fighting. "Wook-hyung, give Woo-hyung back his glasses. Don't cause trouble in my store!"

"Yes, Sir!" They both nodded.

"Oh, (F/n)-ssi! I was wondering, could I call you noona?" Hyunoh asked. Hyunwoo put on his glasses and smiled. If you said yes, it would apply to him too and all their younger members. Jimin was looking at you with a big smile. Reluctantly, you agreed to see him cheer.

"We're the same age." Hyunwook shrugged. You remained quiet, hearing them all say 'bye' as Jimin tugged you out of the store. You didn't expect him to be on good terms with them. Jimin noted your confusion, admitting that he has seen them in his store before. He just never bothered to get to know them or memorize their faces much. That made some sense. As the both of you stepped out, Hyunho finally looked up from his phone. He stared at Jimin and you, assuming the two of you would have been his friends.

"Are they almost done?" Hyunho questioned. Jimin was about to answer, but you beat him to it without realizing it.

"Not really. It seems like Hyunwoo and Hyunwook are fighting more than finding something. T-They looked almost done though!" You said to see him nod. Jimin was staring at you intently. You didn't even talk this much to the others. Then once Hyunho was looking frustrated, you quickly told him something to make him happy. And in the process, you stuttered. Hyunho didn't really care, but Jimin narrowed his eyes on you instantly.

"Good luck, Ho-Hyung." Jimin started pushing you away. Hyunho returned to his phone as you were forced to keep walking forward. Jimin had his hands on your back, trying to get you as far from his store as possible. You didn't get why he was being so forceful. You called his name and made attempts to push his hands away from you, but he was very persistent. It wasn't until you actually shouted his full name that he bothered to stop. The baby chick pulled his arms away from you, gulping at the thought of being in trouble. He's lucky he's too cute for you to properly yell at. The pink haired boy was nervously fidgeting and wanting to look tough at the same time.

"I can walk by myself." You sighed softly. "Come on, let's get to Namjoon's house." You held out your hand for him to grab. He slowly took it, squeezing your hand unintentionally.

"You're supposed to fall in love with Hoseok hyung. No one else." Jimin puffed his cheeks out. You almost spat when you heard him say that. What is this child thinking? You find someone attractive! That doesn't mean you're in love! Furthermore, Hoseok and you are just friends. You're not required to fall in love with him.

"You and your imagination." You shook your head, ignoring how red your face was.

Once Jimin arrived for practice, the boys could finally work on their dances as a group. Hoseok was in charge of the dancing. His ankle was healed up now, so he was free to do as he pleased. You still fussed though, telling him not to push it. Take it easy. Of course, Hoseok thought you were crazy when you said that. There was no slowing down for any of the members. You were most surprised with Seokjin's dedication. For someone who accidentally joined, he was really going all in. Jungkook was actually impressed with his uncle as well. You could see their relationship improving now that they were teammates together.

Yoongi was also working extremely hard. When it was time for their five minute break, he came over to you and admitted he was surprised you hadn't teased him yet. He thought you would make fun of the fact that this was the only time you ever seen him move. Maybe you would have done that in the past. Seeing Yoongi's efforts were too admirable right now for you to joke about it. He needed motivation and you didn't want to put him down in any way. He's doing so well too! You happily gave him a water bottle as he thanked you. Yoongi did try hugging you, knowing full well that he was covered in sweat. No way in hell.

"Get away!" You swatted your hand.

"Not until I get my hug." Yoongi panted.

"After you shower then!" You huffed.

"That's not happening for a while." He grinned, continuing to stretch his arms around you. It was complete torture as you felt his damp clothing. He laughed at how tense you were in his arms. The worst part was when he squeezed you.

"You're so gross." You whined. Someone else's sweat on you was never an enjoyable experience. Yoongi only did it because he knew how much it bothered you. He's such a little punk. He laughed again with a huge gummy smile appearing. D*mn him. He may not be aware, but cuteness is one of your biggest weaknesses. He's lucky! Yoongi clutched his stomach as Jungkook waddled over. The boy was lightly panting, wanting another water bottle. As he came to grab another one, he watched you and Yoongi carefully.

"Is it fun being in love?" Jungkook asked. Yoongi choked and you were already screaming inside. What is it with these kids and love? You let your face fall into the palm of your hand. This wasn't happening again. Yoongi cleared his throat, staring at Jungkook oddly.

"W-What's with the deep question, Kid? Like hell I know." Yoongi shook his head as he walked away, going back to the others. Jungkook only blinked before looking at you with big black eyes.

"Noona?"

"Drink up your water, Kookie." You patted his head. The brunette didn't say anything after that. Hopefully he got the message that Yoongi and you were not qualified to answer that question.

He went back to work the second the break ended. Practice went all the way until the night. The boys wanted to get enough stamina to sing and dance full out. At this point, their synchronization was perfect. They had been dancing the same choreography for hours now. You clapped for all of them, handing them all towels with a water bottle as they came inside. Each of them thanked you for coming to support them. You still came to watch them do the same routine over and over again when you didn't have to. They appreciated it and Hoseok admitted that having you around prevented him from slacking. They danced well with their props and knew how to make an enjoyable performance.

All of them were ready to go to bed now. They had a big day ahead of them tomorrow. Everything you guys have been doing has been for this moment. It decides if all the hard work was worth it or wasted. The sleepless nights Namjoon and Yoongi spent producing and writing lyrics. Figuring out the choreography by Hoseok for multiple songs all by himself. Then trying to learn how to work together as one team, one body with such different people. It hasn't been easy at all. All seven of the boys were desperate to pass the auditions tomorrow. Or else it really was all for nothing.

Seokjin and Jungkook went home first. The second to leave were Yoongi and Jimin. Jimin got called for his parents. They were wondering what was taking him so long. It was already dark so he was too afraid to go by himself. Yoongi had to go home anyway. He badly wanted to fall asleep in his room, so he volunteered. Namjoon thanked him since he usually does it himself. You grabbed your things, ready to head home too. You would have hugged Namjoon, but he was sweaty. The blonde tried teasing like Yoongi had done but didn't push it which you were thankful for. At least he understands boundaries. As you left the Kim household, Hoseok quickly said goodbye to Namjoon and Taehyung. You could hear him running after you.

"(F/n)!" Hoseok hopped right next to you, pretending as if he hadn't just chased you. "You're going home?"

"Yeah, I probably won't get much sleep, but I need some for tomorrow." You smiled. Hoseok stared down at you, rubbing the back of his head. Ever since he dyed his hair orange, he's grown a habit of touching it. It felt really soft. "And you need to sleep well."

"I'll try...we're all nervous." Hoseok sighed. He saw your little nod, smiling softly to himself. Hoseok took out his right hand from his pocket. You watched him from the corner of your eye as he raised his arm. He wanted to put his arm around your shoulders, but you reminded yourself of his sweat. Hoseok saw your lips thinning the closer he let his arm get. "I-I'm not that sweaty! I promise!"

"I'm going to have to take a shower from Yoongi," You stated to see his brows jump. You were being serious about it too. It's not like the sweaty hug made you want to throw up. It only made you feel sticky and damp yourself. That's why you weren't a fan of sweat from other people. Hoseok bit his lip, taking a second to understand your tone. Hoseok and Namjoon were beginning to understand your tone a lot better. They were getting to Yoongi's level of knowing what you truly meant. Hoseok chuckled to himself as he realized you weren't horribly disgusted by Yoongi's actions.

"Can I hold your hand then?" Hoseok moved his hand near yours. He was grinning with hope, making your heart do a leap. "I'm walking you home tonight and I just want to keep you safe. Can't let you get hurt with what's been going on in the news."

"...okay." You felt yourself blushing. It's not like you haven't held their hands before. Yoongi holds your hand when he takes you home. Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you tried to shove away any thoughts that weren't platonic about your friends. Hoseok is just using the homeless man as an excuse to hold your hand. You don't understand why some people are so sure that you'll end up dating Namjoon, Yoongi, or Hoseok. They're just your friends.

Though sometimes you really wanted to throw them out a window. That just happened to be the feeling you felt the morning of the auditions. All eight of you were cramped inside Seokjin's car. Each member had been dolled up for their auditions. They wore the clothes you handed out to them to complete the look. They were thanking you nonstop and it was all dandy. That is until Jimin decided to tell his hyungs that you had a crush on Hyunho. Which isn't true by the way! At least you don't think so! Automatically, some members felt more betrayal than others. The youngest didn't care as much as long as you ended up with their favorite hyung. It was their hyungs who gave a sh*t. Hearing them scold you was worse than when they made fun of you for your dumb crush on Seokjin.

"You can't have a bias! They're our rivals!" Hoseok pouted.

"(F/n), mind explaining yourself? Why would Jimin say that?" Namjoon questioned.

"I'd rather have you crushing hard on Seokjin hyung again!" Yoongi crossed his arms.

"Shut up! Jimin came to his own incorrect conclusions!" You shouted. The rappers finally got off your back. They were either afraid to push it or willing to believe you. With a heavy sigh, you gave a sharp glare to Jimin as a warning. The baby chick gulped and understood. Adjusting yourself in your seat, you accidentally made eye contact with Seokjin. The teacher was blushing uncomfortably when you realized why. Yoongi said you used to be crushing hard on him. "Yoongi's a liar! Keep driving!"

"I am!" Seokjin squeaked like a mouse.

The car ride was more embarrassing than it should have been. At the end of it, the rappers all apologized to you. Jimin even came over to bow to you. He regretted his words. You forgave them all since it was easy to get over it. Though you were normally good a keeping grudges, you knew better to do that with them. These guys are actually good friends. They're not fake. You're not going to make any mistakes and lose them. Plus, it's better for them to go in the auditions without worrying if they got you too upset. You'll survive with the embarrassment. You rushed all of their apologies to shove them in the direction of the line for auditions. It was long, but you knew it would go quick. You wished them luck before going somewhere to wait.

While you waited, you played on your phone and did anything to pass the time. Hours passed of groups auditioning. After three hours of waiting, BTS had finally auditioned. The seven of them were running towards you. Each of them were a huge ball of nerves as they hugged you tightly. It was overwhelming when they ran to you in a swarm. Once you were in the center of their hug, you relaxed and accepted their affection. The younger boys were the most anxious about their audition. They badly wanted to go through. Their hyungs felt the same but kept a stronger aura to help keep their dongsaengs calm.

"We didn't mess up. We all did good." Hoseok made the group hug tighter. "We were all in our spots when we were supposed to be. Timing was perfect. It was great."

"We did good." Yoongi agreed. He was relieved that it was over with.

"Now we just have to wait an hour before they announce the groups that made it," Namjoon said, pulling away from the group. Everyone nodded their heads as they sat down in the lobby. Other groups who auditioned earlier left but would be coming back. Since BTS only had to wait one hour, the boys figured they would just wait it out here. Seokjin sat down, telling jokes to the preteens. The three of them didn't look interested, but they didn't have the heart to tell Seokjin that his jokes weren't funny. Even Jungkook nudged his friends and made them fake their laughs.

While they did that, you wanted to check if there were any water fountains. It would be nice if there were. Your friends immediately began to trail behind you. They refused to leave you alone in this large entertainment building. They kept saying that you would get lost. Whatever makes them feel better. It wasn't long before you found one. You gasped, finding them near the bathrooms. You ran over to it as Hoseok told you to be careful. Yoongi muttered that he was too tired to run over while Namjoon told him to pick up the pace. They were coming over until something made them stop in their places. You turned around, wiping your mouth to see two people leaving the boy's bathroom.

"You made a mess in there! No one needs that much paper to dry their hands!" Minhyuk laughed, cutely covering his mouth.

"It started as drying my hands, but then it turned into some weird origami show, okay? It's not my fault they didn't want to turn into swans—" Sangchan stopped the second he saw you. He quickly noticed his own rivals staring back at him and Minhyuk. "Oh...isn't this interesting? Us rappers coincidentally meeting each other like this?"

"Well, it is audition day," Minhyuk stated.

"Yeah, I know that," Sangchan muttered.

"Did you guys already go?" Yoongi asked.

"Yep! We've been here since the early morning!" Sangchan nodded. "We've been waiting for hours now."

"That's why we were messing around in the ba—"

"Have you guys gone yet?" Sangchan interrupted his friend. Minhyuk didn't seem to mind though. He kept a small smile, facing the others and acting like a good sport. Sangchan on the other hand gave off a different impression. He wasn't completely serious as Namjoon was in the leader position. He was a lot more playful, but that may be due to the fact that he's a grade below you guys and doesn't go to a strict private middle school. According to Taehyung, he's never seen any of them at their school. Jungkook even said that Dylan was wearing a uniform not from their school.

"Just barely. We're waiting for the results now as well," Namjoon told them.

"Ah, we wish you luck then." Minhyuk clapped.

"Definitely!" Sangchan grinned before realizing what they just said. "W-Wait! We were just joking!"

"It's too late to take it back! We took the luck!" Hoseok cheered. Yoongi hollered in the background, thanking them for their generous donation. Namjoon only smiled at their mistake.

"God d*mn it!" Sangchan stomped his foot.

"Our rivals did it again." Minhyuk sighed, shaking his head.

Sometimes you wondered if anyone knew how to be proper rivals. Hyunwook sort of knew how to be a rival. Another part of you wondered if D-Crunch was real. All their members have so far made you feel like you're living in an alternate dimension. It never feels real. Taking in a deep breath, you accepted the fact that your rivals sucked at being intimidating. Hoseok looked like he was having fun with them too. Yoongi and Namjoon didn't look as bothered anymore to have them around. They used to be a bit worried that people would consider them rivals. Now they were chuckling at the silly reactions from them.

"I think we should start heading back to the others." You suggested, facing your friends. The boys stopped teasing their juniors to hear you out.

"She's right. Results should be coming out soon." Namjoon checked his watch.

"Man, I'm nervous!" Hoseok groaned.

"H-Hey!" Sangchan shouted as all of you were walking away. The four of you turned to face him, confused on what he wanted now.

"What?" Yoongi came off strong. Sangchan tensed up, no longer having anything to say.

"You guys didn't even say bye!" Minhyuk yelled from across the room. He cupped his hands around his mouth just so you guys would hear him. There were other people walking around who were beginning to stare at all of you. It's not like you guys were alone. Yoongi looked over at Hoseok and Namjoon who only shrugged. You patted Yoongi, giving him permission to grant their rival's wishes.

"Oh...bye!"

"Thanks!"

Sangchan pinched the bridge of his nose. That's not what he wanted, but Minhyuk looked satisfied. He couldn't stay too mad at his friend though. They hurried off to meet with their own teammates. Namjoon wasn't lying when the results would be coming soon. All the groups had finished auditioning. A large amount of groups were sent home right after their audition while some were told to stay for the final results. That didn't guarantee that they were safe. Hoseok and Yoongi sat down to join the four others meanwhile Namjoon and you remained standing. You felt too many nerves to just sit down at this point. If you did, you wouldn't be able to stay still. You had to pace yourself in circles to keep yourself relatively sane.

That's when a woman in a suit stood up on a chair. She held a microphone to her lips as she announced the list of the groups who had passed. There were only going to be twenty-one groups able to pass. Twenty-one groups that would soon shrink down to only one. All the boys on the floor were closing their eyes. They held with one another for hope and comfort. Namjoon took your hand, unable to breathe as the group names were listed. Over ten were listed and there was no BTS yet. Namjoon's grip was beginning to weaken. You instantly squeezed his hand, refusing to let his hope slip away so easily. Not all the names have been listed. He shouldn't give up so soon.

"Number 14, BTS," The woman said.

The young little zoo began shrieking out of pure joy. They were jumping all over each other and hugging others tightly. Jimin was sobbing uncontrollably in Hoseok's shirt as his hyung did his best to hold back his own emotions. Seokjin carried Jungkook in the air, the two of them cheering loudly. The both of them were beaming with glee. Yoongi was then left in a daze. He couldn't believe it and Taehyung was hugging him, proud that they could pull this off. Taehyung's eyes were watery, but nothing slipped so far. And then there was you, feeling as if your legs had turned into jelly. They did it. Namjoon embraced you tightly and you hugged him back. You were so relieved that they made it in that you began to cry. You didn't think you would actually cry.

"Thank you so much for pushing us, (F/n). We really couldn't have done this without you acting as our manager," Namjoon said in a gentle tone.

"No, it's your endless talent and l-leadership!" You cried harder. You didn't want to hear him thanking you. Shaking your head, you felt his chest vibrate from his chuckles. He held you tighter and rubbed your back.

"Don't cry, Cha (F/n)." Namjoon soothed you. "We did it. Let's celebrate, okay? With lots of food and music."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." You wiped your eyes with a giggle. You slowly pulled away from Namjoon, feeling warm at the sight of his cute dimples. The two of you turned to face the rest of the members when the woman's voice boomed over the speakers.

"Number 20, D-Crunch."

(Top to bottom, left to right: Jeongseung, Hyunoh, Chanyoung, Hyunwook, Hyunho, Sangchan [O.V.], Dylan, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk)


	35. Back To School

Ch.35

Returning to school has been an interesting experience. It was already one that you had been dreading. Most students don't want to come back after a taste of freedom. But as usual, you have to come back and you eventually get over it. It's not that big of a deal. The only difference with this time was the fact that three people at this school now had their hair dyed. People had automatic questions for Hoseok. What made him want to dye his hair with an orange tint? It looked more natural than the other new dye jobs. People were speechless to see the top student, Kim Namjoon, as a blonde. He looked cute in it! But you could see why they were a bit startled. Then the biggest reaction was towards the hottest math teacher at the academy.

At that point, people thought something was going on. Mr. Kim walked down the halls, doing his best to be shameless. He felt all the extra stares he was receiving from students and faculty. It was hard to ignore purple hair when a majority of the school had naturally black hair. Mr. Kim used to be a brunette though and now he suddenly changed it. People where whispering if teachers were even allowed to dye their hair. No one had the guts to ask him about it. They stayed quiet about it near him. The difference was when it came to your friends. Yoongi already had wine colored hair so people quickly drew their own conclusions.

Lots of people were believing that Yoongi either dared or forced the two boys to dye their hair. Despite all three of them getting along now, people were sure there was bad blood between them. You didn't understand what their problem was. Can't they focus on their own lives? You suppose it is a bit hard when Hoseok keeps getting out of his seat to show his new hair to people around the class. Yoongi only plugged in his ear buds and Namjoon shook his head. All of you were back in school, alright. Hoseok returned to you guys at the back of the classroom. He pulled out his phone, wanting to take a picture for the first day back. Yoongi was too busy listening to music and napping while you claimed you weren't in the mood for it. Namjoon tensed up since you took his excuse.

"Smile!" Hoseok wrapped his arm around the blonde. Namjoon gave up, smiling as Hoseok took multiple photos. At one point, Mr. Kim walked around the classroom as casually as he could. One he reached the back, he took the chance to join in the photo. Hoseok held back his laughter so he wouldn't attract attention to the teacher. If Hoseok can get a picture with the teacher then you know a bunch of girls will ask for some too. Mr. Kim grinned to himself, walking back to his desk as if he wasn't close friends with the four of you now. Sometimes it was still hard to believe the friendship you guys managed to get with him. From the way he looks, you wouldn't think his personality matched. Mr. Kim looked handsome, but cold. In reality, he's extremely nice and proper. But he can be childish and makes a lot of dad jokes that he strongly believes Jungkook enjoys.

The bell eventually rang causing students to pack up all their things. Some classmates eyed Namjoon and Hoseok again with judging stares. Others almost bumped into the wall by staring at Mr. Kim for too long. The four of you split to your classes. It was awful to be back, but you were slowly recovering. The only good thing was that class passed by faster than you thought it would. Lunch was your favorite! Today would be spent relaxing. Hoseok decided that he wasn't going to rehearse anything with Yoongi and Namjoon. They've put endless effort during the break. That was something you could agree on. Those two no longer drove Hoseok crazy which meant they improved so much.

Getting in the lunch line, you hummed to yourself. It's been a while since you've had food from the school. You already knew you would have to share some of it with Yoongi. During Mr. Kim's class, he opened his bag to search for his notebook. He didn't have any snack packed at all. That boy. Sometimes you worry that if you weren't always there to keep an eye on him, he would starve. You grabbed a tray when you heard a familiar voice repeating 'excuse me'. They made their way through the line so they could just stand next to you. This felt very familiar as you turned to face him, raising a brow at his antics. The ball of sunshine only smiled back at you.

"What a coincidence that we get to stand next to each other in line!" Hoseok scooted closer to you.

"It's like you purposely did it." Your smile grew to see him roll his eyes. The two of you slowly made your way down the line. Just a little more and then you would actually be receiving food from the cafeteria workers. "So, anything new?"

"Not really. Just getting back into the old schedule." Hoseok sighed, bouncing impatiently. He wanted to get food already. He kept leaning to the side, watching the person in front of you guys struggling to decide on what exactly he wanted. Hoseok pursed his lips as he gave you his attention again. After a few seconds, he motioned for you to come closer. You leaned in close as he whispered, "I'm nervous about the contest. We got accepted, but what should we do now?"

"Oh...I was actually going to bring that up with the others," You stated. It's been on your mind too. The contest wouldn't be starting until a month later. For now, they're going to be preparing the outside stage and promoting the contest. They also wanted to use that month to have a photoshoot with each group. That way viewers can get an idea of all the groups participating. Maybe there will be an extremely beautiful group or a concept that attracts people. The start of the contest will all be on those factors. You weren't so confident with that, but you knew your boys would gain fans the second they perform their stage. "You guys already have two songs for the first two rounds. Then I heard from Yoongi that they were working on two new songs."

"Yeah, I'm helping them with the melodies..." Hoseok mumbled with a pink face.

"Really? That's so cool, Hoseok!" You placed your hand on his shoulder. You didn't get why he was so embarrassed. When you spoke to him, you unintentionally raised the volume of your voice. It would have been fine had it not attracted the attention of a certain group of boys.

"I just hope I don't mess it up or make things harder for them." He shrugged. "The contest is going to finish so quickly. Twenty-one groups and only four rounds in total. You know what that means, right? Five groups get cut each round! That's so intense. Just thinking about it makes me feel like pissing my pants."

"There will be no pissing of any pants because you got this, Jung Hoseok." You stared at him intently. He gave you a small smile, appreciating your reassurance. "Besides, Yoongi and Namjoon told me you have a talent for creating catchy hooks and stuff like that. I may not know all the fancy terms for producing music, but I got the gist that you have a special knack for it too." You playfully punched his shoulder.

"Yoongi and Namjoon are pretty great, huh?" Hoseok grinned, his expression already showing how grateful he was to have them as friends. They were true friends to the both of you. Much better than any of the friends the two of you ever had in the past. The line moved forward a tad as you were about to respond. You stopped the second you saw old faces hanging around Hoseok. They wrapped their arms around him, taking the golden boy by surprise. He looked around in shock until he saw it was them. The guys he befriended at the beginning of the year.

"Hoseok! Man, were you ever going to tell us that you got a girlfriend?" They joked. They were already laughing, making you want to disappear into thin air. You just didn't want to deal with this situation at all. Looking away from them, you focused on getting food to eat for you and Yoongi.

"We're just friends..." Hoseok moved their arm off him. "I've been busy." He tried stepping closer to you.

"Come on, Hoseok don't be like that! We want to hear what you've been up to?"

"Are you sure she's not your girlfriend? You two seem pretty friendly."

"Oh sh*t! How far have you two gone?" They laughed even louder.

"Can all of you just f*ck off?" Hoseok snapped. Their laughter quickly stopped to get this type of reaction from someone like Hoseok. Others in the line were looking over, wondering what the boys must have done to piss a bubbly boy like Hoseok off. That was the magic of popularity that Hoseok carried. Outsiders will hardly look at him in a bad light. You watched from the corner of your eye as his fake friends cleared their throats. "You're not as funny as you all think you are." Hoseok finally walked closer to you. He left all of them embarrassed as others scoffed at the fake friends. Why did they push his buttons so far? What's wrong with them? You were already hearing it as Hoseok and you left the lunch line. You had to admit though...it was kind of hot. "Sorry about them."

"Huh? O-Oh! Don't worry about it!" You broke out of your thoughts. What were you thinking!? Hoseok sighed, still annoyed so he didn't see how flushed your face was becoming. Thank goodness he didn't. You were so baffled and surprised by your own thoughts. Why did you let that thought slip?

The two of you made it to the usual spot, the windowsill. Yoongi was already sitting on the far left with Namjoon on the far right. Hoseok took his spot on the floor as you sat in the middle of the two boys. You were starting to calm down, the pink leaving your cheeks. Hoseok seemed to put his annoyance to the side too. He opened his bag of chips first and was munching down before you knew it. Namjoon shook his head, telling the orange hair to slow down. He doesn't want another choking incident. One with Taehyung was more than enough. You giggled before looking over at Yoongi. The pale boy was taking out his ear buds and sighing to himself.

"If he chokes, maybe he'll learn his lesson," Yoongi muttered.

"Well sh*t." Namjoon stifled back laughter. Hoseok instantly stopped eating to pout at his friend. The golden boy had a bunch of crumbs around his mouth. It was hard to take him as intimidating at the moment.

"I see how it is."

"I meant well." Yoongi crossed his arms. Hoseok only shook his head, digging back into his bag of chips like no tomorrow. You giggled softly, facing Yoongi again as you held up the food you chose for him.

"I got you food, Yoongi."

"We're really getting into the swing of things again." Yoongi chuckled, taking the small bag of snacks. "Sorry I take so much food from you."

"As long as you don't starve," You said, looking him over. You smiled to yourself as you poked his stomach. Yoongi flinched and quickly gave you a glare for randomly touching him. You only giggled, making his glare soften on you.

"Just know you're lucky." Yoongi began to nibble on his food. No matter what threat he gave you, you knew you were forever in the clear. There's no way he'd ever cause any harm to you. Namjoon and Hoseok were another story though.

For the beginning of lunch, all of you just ate. There was a lot of playful behavior with the four of you too. More than you remembered. Probably spending every day of break together must have done that. Namjoon was teasing Hoseok by pretending to kick him. That got Hoseok to toss many of his purple grapes at the blonde. Hoseok decided to add you and Yoongi into the fun. You luckily caught the grape with your hands while Yoongi was hit in the center of his forehead. Hoseok worried for his life for about three seconds. Yoongi only chuckled gently and the orange hair was relieved. He thought he was going to die a painful death.

Yoongi might still tease them a bit harshly, but he's become a lot kinder too. His playful side comes out where he acts silly. He shows it to all of the boys too. Not just your little group of four. Yoongi started nudging you during the middle of lunch. You nudged him back and you two began nudging each other repetitively. The two of you were giggling loudly by the time Namjoon called for everyone's attention. It was time to discuss the contest. Passing the audition was just the start of the storm. There was a lot to come and so much more to do now that BTS was actually going to be competing. Though winning wasn't everything, the boys wanted to make it the fourth and final round.

"I have a lot of worries!" Hoseok raised his hand.

"Those are just insecurities," Yoongi replied.

"Right!" Hoseok lowered his hand, keeping his enthusiasm.

"Okay, we have two great songs. Yoongi and I worked hard on them," Namjoon started. "One of them was one of the many that were scraped for our mini concert. I think it's good enough to help us get votes. I know making music and performing is a lot more important to us, but we have to keep in mind that this is a competition. Our songs have to be good enough to attract viewers. They need to be catchy, danceable, and flashy."

"I got choreographing down!" Hoseok smiled.

"By flashy, what do you mean?" You already had your phone out to write down notes.

"Our outfits have to match the theme of our song. I think we're going to have a different concept for each song." Namjoon nodded to himself. "Something to keep people interested. We only get four chances with them at most."

"Wait, hold on. Are the rounds one day after another?" Yoongi furrowed his brows.

"No, no." Namjoon looked horrified at the thought. "Each round is on a Saturday, so the entire thing is going to take a month."

"This contest is a mess." Hoseok chewed his bottom lip. "What do they want us doing while we wait?"

"They'll probably have you show up anyway to practice on their stage. That way you can probably space yourselves out, decide the lighting or any stage effects, and learn the camera angles." You shrugged. "Then the actual live and recorded performance will be on Saturday."

"We better pass the first f*cking round." Yoongi crumbled his wrapper.

"Then we just have to keep working hard." Namjoon stuck his hand out. Hoseok immediately put his hand in the center and you followed after. The last one the three of you were waiting for was Yoongi. The delinquent groaned but placed his hand on top of yours anyway. All of you were going to work like never before. The boys passed with their song 'Just One Day' during the auditions and now they needed to step it up. The judges must have been impressed that they used props. It's hard creating a dance with something that might just end up getting in your way. Especially with something as big as a chair. But nothing was stopping any of you any time soon. Before the four of you could raise your hands in the air, another hand joined in the circle. The person quickly rushed over as quick as they could which took all of you by surprise. They badly wanted to be a part of this and made it just in time.

"What is your problem?" Yoongi huffed.

"I'm a part of this too!" Seokjin frowned.

"Glad you could make it, Hyung." Hoseok grinned.

"It's Mr. Kim here, Kid." Seokjin pouted.

"Are we doing the cheer or not?" Namjoon cocked a brow up.

"Fighting on three! One, two, three—!" You rushed it. All four males panicked but went along with what you said. They threw their hands up as they said 'fighting'. A part of you wanted to shout it, but the five of you were in the cafeteria. Teachers don't really walk through the cafeteria. Much less come to a specific group of students to do a cheer with them.

"Are you guys talking about the contest?" Seokjin asked to see all of you nod. He began going on the tip of his toes, bouncing as he spoke, "I know! I can't get it out my mind! I was barely able to sleep last night at all! I'm actually quite surprised with how excited I am for it!"

"Me too. You hated it in the beginning." Yoongi reminded him.

"Not anymore. Mainly because of how close I've gotten to Kookie." Seokjin pulled out his phone to show all of you his lock screen. It was a selca of him and Jungkook. He had his arm wrapped around the boy, the two of them holding ice cream cones with ice cream on their noses. The photo was really cute but the boys around you cringed. Seokjin didn't care what the boys thought. To him, it was his favorite picture in the entire world. "Ah, sometimes I wish Jungkook was my son."

"Maybe you can ask your sister to hand him over?" Hoseok suggested. You quickly looked at him like he was crazy. Namjoon furrowed his brows as Yoongi bent over laughing. He thought it was so funny to the point where he was smacking his leg.

"Do it! I dare you!" Yoongi's gummy smile grew. "No balls!"

"I'm not about to get killed!" Seokjin gasped. You've never met Jungkook's mother, but you would assume she wouldn't be too happy to hear that from her brother. She'd probably just smack Seokjin and tell him to get his own. Hoseok then admitted that he did find the picture kind of cute. It wasn't 'kind of' though! It so was! You were still suppressing squeals inside of you as Namjoon and Yoongi congratulated Seokjin for getting closer to his nephew. It hasn't been an easy task for him. The four of you have seen the sweet little bunny turn sour at the sight of his uncle. Jungkook would make faces and look completely disinterested any time his uncle showed up. But progress was made and now Jungkook leaves happy with his uncle and plays with him for fun.

Seokjin started going on a tangent about a cute thing that Jungkook did. As he told the story, you realized this would have been extremely embarrassing for the bunny. Hoseok pinched the bridge of his nose. It was now confirmed that Seokjin was an embarrassing family member. Yoongi only chuckled while something else caught Namjoon's eyes. Your focus on the story drifted to see what he was looking at. Your eyes widened when you saw Principle Yoo making his way. His eyes were straight on Yoongi until he saw the broad-shouldered man laughing. His brows puckered at the purple hair the teacher now sported. You secretly poked Yoongi's thigh to get his attention. He looked at you, shocked but amused.

"What are you trying to get at, Cha (F/n)?" Yoongi's voice was husky.

"Principal Yoo." His smirk disappeared. You didn't mean to crush his flirty attitude, but it had to be done. Seokjin noticed how the three of you on the windowsill were stiff. None of you were laughing at his story anymore. Instead your eyes were all focused on the figure coming closer behind him. Hoseok was sipping his juice box when he looked to see what had your guy's attention. He almost spit his drink to see Principle Yoo step next to Seokjin. The teacher blinked in surprise, trying his best to keep acting natural.

"What's so funny?" Principal Yoo asked.

"Uh...I just told t-them a story about my joka." Mr. Kim brought his hand up to his hair. He panicked right away, realizing he was bringing attention to his new purple locks. He shot his hand down and stood stiffly.

"Hm. Are you close with your students?" Principal Yoo questioned. Yoongi let out a loud sigh before Seokjin could respond. The air was quickly growing awkward.

"We were busy talking." Yoongi huffed.

"Sorry...I just wanted to drop off the food your Eomma made you. You never take it." Principal Yoo placed the box on the boy's lap. "Stop going on strike against your Eomma. It makes her sad, you know?"

"...thanks for the food," Yoongi grumbled. "Now go. I'll talk to her later."

"That's good!" Principal Yoo chirped. He was smiling widely, not believing that Yoongi actually accepted the food. You glanced at Yoongi, watching him eat the food with his lips twitching. He wanted to smile at his Mom's homemade food. Principal Yoo said he was on strike though. You bet it had something to do with music or Principal Yoo. At least that explained why Yoongi never has food with him. The principal's eyes then drifted over to Seokjin's hair. "What's with the new hair?"

"Trying something new." Seokjin shrugged. Hoseok could see his teacher sweating with the look his boss was giving him. "It was an on the spot decision."

"Well—"

"I helped him," Yoongi said. Principal Yoo looked back at the redhead, confused by his words. "I dyed his hair as well as my friends. Don't they look better?" Yoongi placed a piece of chicken in his mouth, his eyes never leaving the older man.

"...You all pull it off." He cleared his throat. "Don't go too crazy though. We still have a dress code here." And with that Principal Yoo walked off. Like Yoongi said, the boys were safe. Principal Yoo didn't have the guts to do anything that would potentially upset Yoongi. He's still trying to make Yoongi like him by just the slightest. Seokjin released a sigh, glad that he could keep his job. He's normally not that afraid of the principal. The teacher took it as his cue to leave too. He waved, saying he'll pick up Jungkook later today. The four of you waved goodbye as the handsome male walked off looking like an idol. Lots of students watched Seokjin leave the cafeteria. It was hard to believe someone like him was a teacher on campus.

If only they knew some of the jokes he made. You smiled to yourself as you cleaned up your tiny area. Yoongi was still eating with his new food and ended up sharing some with Hoseok. The two talked about their music programs and what not. You weren't too familiar with what they were talking about. Yoongi tried explaining it to you once, but it was too much. Grabbing all your trash, you headed towards the trash can. The bell should be ringing in five minutes. Most students in the cafeteria were taking their time. No one really left before the bell unless they were in a hurry. As you tossed everything away, you turned around to bump into a chest.

"Oh, sorry!" You freaked out until you saw it was one of your favorite dimpled boy.

"Sorry, just thought I would throw my trash away too." Namjoon leaned over to toss his waste inside the bin. You gulped, unable to speak as his face inched closer to yours. His face was to your side, but still. You didn't understand why he didn't just walk around you to get rid of his things. Your face was heating up as he slowly began to back up. This was too much. Now that you were a ball of nerves, you couldn't think straight. You took a step back to try and find a way to create space between the both of you. That was a mistake. It's like you forgot that there was a _trash can_ right behind you. It felt sudden when you bumped into it that you could feel yourself falling back. Sh*t! You waved your arms in the air before Namjoon grabbed onto you. His eyes were wide, instinctively grabbing you and pulling you away from the smelly bin.

Oh. You were fine. You didn't fall into the trash can and embarrass yourself in front of everyone in the cafeteria. It was nice to be in the clear. Sighing softly, you looked up at Namjoon before choking at the realization. His hands were around your waist. Namjoon's face was becoming pink too. Both of your chests were close so it could pass off as a hug. Namjoon slowly brought you closer and patted your back. Was he trying to make it look natural? It only felt awkward to be a part of. You buried your face in the jacket of his uniform, wanting to groan. Namjoon at least found humor in the situation. He laughed, rubbing your back to comfort you.

"It's a good thing I caught you." Namjoon pulled away.

"That's true. Thank you...things could have gone so wrong." You shivered at the thought.

"I think I'm starting to outgrow my old clumsy ways." Namjoon winked, reaching his hand out to lean on a table. You assumed he was trying to go for cool and smooth. Instead, Namjoon didn't realize how far the table was from him. He almost fell over but caught himself after stumbling on his own feet. Once again, his ears were burning to have done that in front of you. He tried so you'll give him that. You smiled, giggling as he adjusted his uniform. "O-Okay, maybe not."

"Don't worry. Your clumsiness is cute." You patted his back, walking back towards Yoongi and Hoseok.

"You...think so?" Namjoon asked as you simply nodded. It added to his charm in your opinion. It's the main reason you got so comfortable around him in the beginning. You thought he would be a strict tutor from the way you saw him as a class president. But no. He was a bumbling idiot, moving recklessly through his kitchen and burning himself with hot tea. It's an adorable memory that you hold dearly. It was the start of your friendship with him after all. Namjoon relaxed, smiling back at you.

When the two of you returned to the windowsill, Hoseok and Yoongi were a lot quieter than when you guys left them. Hoseok was mindlessly nibbling on a piece of chicken. He stared at nothing in particular, probably lost in his thoughts. Then there was Yoongi. The delinquent had his eyes on Namjoon, almost glaring at the president. You didn't know what his issue was and only shrugged it off as the bell rang. The two quickly cleaned up after themselves to head to the last class of the day.

"Bye, (F/n)!" Hoseok suddenly pulled you into a strong embrace. You were taken aback but gave him a squeeze too. He waved excitedly, running to his next class and automatically bumping into other people to talk to.

"I'll see you around. Text me, alright?" Namjoon gave you a side hug. You nodded, feeling something in you flutter for some reason. You silently watched the tall male walk out of the cafeteria with a new air of confidence. He normally didn't have such a powerful walk. Your view of Namjoon was cut off when Yoongi stepped in front of you with a low growl.

"What?" You asked as he wrapped a protective arm around your waist. He pulled you close to him and you were used to it. The only strange thing was that he only ever brought you this close in Midnight Measure. Only when the two of you are seen as boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Are you coming to Namjoon's house after school?" Yoongi avoided your question. It's fine. The two of you walked down the long halls, looking like a couple to everyone walking by.

"No, I'm actually gonna be heading straight home today." You shook your head.

"Why's that?" Yoongi paused in his steps. Now he was actually listening to what you were saying. He thought you were going to say 'yes' as always.

"My parents are coming back today. We're going to eat out tonight too!" You excitedly clapped your hands. Yoongi's expression softened at your little happy motions. His grip on you grew tighter as if to keep you safe.

"That's good. I'm glad you're happy, Baby girl," Yoongi said.

"Thanks." You giggled at his behavior. "I'm going to text Namjoon though to make sure all of you stay on task and practice."

"Oh trust me, I don't need any reminders from Namjoon." Yoongi smirked, the two of you arriving at your last class. Others stepped in through the door while you stayed outside with the redhead. He placed his hand on top of your head, ruffling your hair a bit. "I want calls from you, okay?"

"What is with you today? Are you my boyfriend?" You playfully took off his hand from your head. Yoongi didn't say anything, only watching you laugh gently. He eventually rolled his eyes and nudged his head towards the inside of your classroom.

"Go. Before you're tardy because of me." Yoongi's voice coming off as cold, but all you had to do was listen to his words. There was care in them.

"Trying to get rid of me that quickly? I see how it is." You pulled him into a hug. Yoongi was startled, his arms raised up and his entire body tensed. You shifted your head to stare up at him as he melted into the hug. He hugged you back lightly before patting your arms. He turned around, walking away with his hands shoved in his pockets. "See ya, Yoongles!"

"Never call me that!" Yoongi shouted.

*~*

Jungkook stood outside of Sehyun Academy, his middle school, staring at his shoes. He had been doing this for a while since Jimin and Taehyung were in the principal's office. Those two were getting talked to about their new hair. It easily became the talk of the school. So many students had crowded them in shock. To Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung were the most popular kids at his school. Of course, they were getting so much attention for the stunt they pulled. No one really said much about Jungkook's sandy blonde hair. His brunette hair had lightened up a few shades, but no one said anything. It disappointed the maknae to know he wasn't getting asked any questions. Not even the principal was interested in scolding him!

Actually, he was quite happy about that. He slipped under their principal's radar for the sole reason that he's related to Kim Seokjin. And since Seokjin had told the principal prior of letting this slip under the rug, the principal was only telling Jimin and Taehyung to try and wear beanies. Anything to hide their brightly dyed hair for most of the time. Something to not distract other students in their classroom. Jungkook was growing impatient waiting for them. He could only kick the ground and pluck out grass for so long. He was tempted to walk to Taehyung's house all by himself. Jungkook grabbed onto the straps of his backpack, ready to do just that until his eyes met with his rivals.

What were they doing here?

Jungkook froze at the sight of them. It was only three members of their rival group and it was their youngest members. Chanyoung and Jeongseung were standing with their arms crossed. Right in front of them was Dylan with a smirk. What did these guys want? Jungkook shifted uncomfortably, not understanding why they always went after him when Jimin and Taehyung weren't around. If his friends were by his side then it would be fair. It wouldn't feel like he was being ganged up on by a couple of bullies. The bunny gulped, taking a step back as Dylan took a step forward. The fear in Jungkook started fading the longer he stared at Dylan. Short and baby faced.

"We have news for you and you need to pass this on! Got it?" Dylan pointed a finger at the brunette.

"You didn't even say hi to me, Yeonjae." Jungkook pushed back his finger. Right away his rival's face became flushed. He wanted to spout all kinds of things at the bunny until Jeongseung hit his arm.

"Are you really gonna take that?" Jeongseung teased.

"I was about to respond! Dude, let me finish!" Dylan whined, his voice cracking when he let his voice get high. Jungkook whistled at that voice crack. That's tough. Dylan swallowed hard, embarrassed that he let that happen in front of someone like Jungkook. It didn't help that Jeongseung, his own teammate, was laughing at his agony.

"Tell him what we came here for." Chanyoung reminded them. "I'm getting hungry and we need to practice soon."

"Oh, me too!" Jungkook grinned. "My group is working hard! All thanks to our hard working leader, Namjoon hyung and (F/n) noona. She's our manager."

"Manager?" Jeongseung's eyes widened. "W-We don't have a manager."

"Oh no...do you think we should get one?" Dylan bit his lip.

"We'll bring this up later to Sangchan hyung. For now, tell him the news," Chanyoung said.

"No, we should tell Hyunwook hyung. This is more of the stuff he handles," Dylan muttered. Chanyoung pouted, wanting Dylan to just tell Jungkook already. All three of them were getting distracted. Jeongseung agreed that Sangchan should be told while Dylan was adamant on Hyunwook. Jungkook stood by awkwardly, waiting for their fight to end. At this point, he wanted to hear the news already. His rivals were growing less intimidating by the second. The bickering lasted longer than Jungkook had thought. By the time the three rivals were finally getting themselves together, Taehyung and Jimin were walking out. The two friends were smiling together until they noticed who Jungkook was with. They instantly ran over with alarmed expressions. What were these punks doing to their maknae? Jimin and Taehyung took fighting stances, trying to shoo away their rivals.

"Now they're all here!" Jeongseung sighed. "Nice going, Dylan."

"Hey, this is not my fault!" Dylan shook his head.

"Oh my God! Okay! Our hyungs told us to pass on this message!" Chanyoung lost his patience. "Tell your rap hyungs that they should come to Midnight Measure tonight for rap battles."

"Rap battles?" Jimin looked at his two classmates.

"Y-You mean your hyungs want to battle ours?" Jungkook asked.

"Yeah! So you better tell them. And if they don't show up then...then they're...they're—" Dylan tried to think of something offensive.

"—Weenies!" Jeongseung shouted. All three of BTS's maknaes gasped at such an insult. Jimin would never allow Hoseok's status to fall to such a low level. Jungkook was furious at the thought of them ever considering Yoongi a weenie. Taehyung scoffed, the most hurt and frustrated by their challenge. There was no weenie potential in Namjoon whatsoever.

"I don't think you should have gone that far..." Chanyoung muttered, but it was too late.

"Oh, we'll tell our hyungs!" Taehyung shouted. "Your hyungs will see that ours don't mess around!" Taehyung was fuming as he crossed his arms. "Get ready to see your hyungs be put in their place like the _weenies_ they are!" Their three rivals flinched at his aggressive tone, but they weren't going to back down. Not when the honor of their hyungs was getting spit on.

"Oh, it's on!"

(Left to right: Jeongseung, Chanyoung, Dylan.)


	36. Tie

Ch.36

It's been great having your parents back. They gave you the biggest hug after a long time of not seeing you. The house would no longer feel as empty or lonely. Mom and Dad apologized for keeping you alone for so long. Though it led to you getting bored often, it wasn't too bad in the end. You had some fun sleepovers that your parents will never find out about. Especially the fact that you had two different boys sleep in your bed with you. It was at different times though! Plus, it was only sleeping. None of that dirty stuff because they're your friends! And you've also never had your first kiss.

But you've had more crushes than you can count on a single hand.

During dinner, Mom and Dad were talking a lot about grandpa. They mentioned all the family that they saw and how everything was throughout their stay. You were interested in what they were saying, but your mind would occasionally drift off. It was a habit of yours. Daydreaming will seriously be the end of you someday. Lost in your thoughts, you kept replaying each little event you had with the boys today. The way Hoseok protected you from his fake friends. How close you were to falling in the trash can before Namjoon saved you, bringing you extra close to him. Then Yoongi acting like your boyfriend as he dropped you off to your last class. It was all so weird.

It's not like you have a crush on any of them though. You're pretty sure they're in the friendzone. Chewing on your fork, you didn't even realize that there was no meat on it anymore. Mom and Dad were starting to notice how lost you were in your little world. Sure, your heart would beat faster and you would blush around them. Only during embarrassing moments and that's normal. When you guys are just hanging out together then its fine. They tease you and you tease them back a little harder. Maybe it's only natural you're feeling this way. You're the only girl surrounded by three really great guys who give you mixed signals all the time. You're trying not to overthink it since they call you their friend anyway. It's all just the little zoo that have your feelings all over the place.

Besides, you haven't had a crush since Seokjin. That's been over for some time now too. The only person you've been feeling attracted to lately was...no. That's a bad thought. Or was it? You giggled to yourself, your face becoming pink. Dad worriedly looked at your Mom with a raised brow. What was going on with his teenage daughter? Mom seemed very familiar with what you were doing. You placed a hand on your cheek, thinking about the guy who's been becoming very attractive to you. Every time you see him, he looks better. You haven't seen much of him though and you knew if any of the members found out, they'd be pissed. They already lost it once, but you can't help yourself! Hyunho is really attractive! You whined, stomping your feet.

"Gum drop, is everything okay? You're scaring me." Dad placed his hand on yours. It felt so sudden that you flinched at the contact. Dad became startled when you jumped in your seat. Mom smiled to herself when your fork flew out of your hand. Whoops. "S-Sorry. Did I startle you?"

"I'm so sorry! I-I was...thinking about stuff!" Your entire body was flushed. Others in the restaurant were starting to look your way. This is so embarrassing.

"Is everything okay?" Dad frowned. "Is something wrong? I know we've been gone for a while, but you can still talk to us."

"Uh...it's nothing important." You shook your head.

"She's thinking about boys, Jagi." Mom hummed.

"E-Eomma!" You saw your Dad's eyes flash with fear. "Am not!"

"Oh...I see. You're growing up so quick, (F/n)." Dad sniffled. He looked gloomy as he gave up cutting his meat in tiny pieces. Dad began to stuff his face, a habit of his whenever this stuff was mentioned. Sometimes you really wished Dad would be the type to get aggressive and say things like 'no boys near my daughter!' or something like that. Instead, you have a very emotional father that you still love dearly. "I bet you won't be needing your Appa very soon."

"Appa, that's not it." You denied his delusions.

"Some handsome boy is going to take you away from me." Dad pouted. As a waiter came by, he lifted his hand. "Can I get a glass of wine?"

"What is wrong with you?" Mom sighed. She was the older one in the relationship and handled most of the tough stuff. She poked Dad who was mumbling things about his little princess leaving him.

"Appa, there's no boy in my life. I promise!" You spoke sternly. He slowly lifted his eyes, meeting yours with a light of hope.

"You do?"

"I do!"

"Isn't that great, Noona?" Dad automatically perked up. He was beaming in his seat, smiling widely at his wife. Mom only shook her head and crossed her arms when the waiter came by with the wine. "Oh, we won't be needing that anymore! Thank you though!"

"I'll take it!" Mom raised her hand. You giggled to yourself, always enjoying spending time with your parents. The only thing that sucked was that you dug yourself into a further hole. You promised your Dad there were no boys at all. Would he have a heart attack to know you're constantly around seven? Now an added nine if you count the rivals that you have a feeling you'll be seeing more of. While Mom downed her glass of wine, you chugged your glass of water. Dad only swayed in his seat, happily enjoying a night out with his family.

The dinner out with your parents was...a success? It went nicely. You just wished you knew a way to get your Dad to stop crying without making him think you lived like a nun. There wasn't much you could do about it for now. Eventually you'll get a boyfriend and hopefully by then he'll be able to handle his emotions better. By the time the three of you arrived home, you immediately got ready for bed. Mom and Dad were staying up to finish unpacking their bags. At least they were until Mom got lazy. She fell asleep and convinced Dad to cuddle with her. When you left the bathroom in your pajamas, you had to close the door for them. They were sleeping peacefully together. They must be drained from the long trip back.

You stepped into your room, quietly closing the door behind you. That's when you heard your phone buzzing on your dresser. Who's calling you at this time? It was past the time rehearsal usually ended for the boys. All of them should be back in their own homes by now. Grabbing your phone, you checked the caller ID to see it was Yoongi. What's he calling you for? You suddenly remembered the conversation the two of you had at school. He wanted you to call him. Could it be about that? Bringing the phone to your ear, you fell back on your bed and played with one of the many stuffed animals you owned.

"Hello?"

"Hey (F/n), I'm not interrupting your dinner with your parents? Right?" Yoongi questioned.

"Nope! I'm back home and they're deep asleep. I was about to sleep myself too. Why?" You tilted your head, hearing the voices of Namjoon and Hoseok in the background. They were all still hanging out? You began to frown, wanting to be there with them.

"We're gonna head out to Midnight Measure tonight. The kids kept telling us we had to go...something about us not being weenies or some sh*t." Yoongi chuckled.

"_You're not a weenie, Hyung! None of you are!_" You heard a sobbing Taehyung in the back.

"_Tae, I-I'm going to Midnight Measure. It's gonna be okay._" Namjoon consoled the boy.

"Come help us not be weenies, (F/n)!" Hoseok shouted. You covered your mouth, stifling a bunch of giggles. What did that even mean? Even Yoongi was laughing hard with Hoseok.

"You interested in going?" Yoongi asked after laughing for a long time. You can already imagine the gummy smile on his face.

"Sure! I'll get ready for tonight!" You got up from your bed. Right away, you held your phone with your shoulder and set aside a stuff animal. You needed your hands to pick an outfit.

"Great, we'll pick you up at midnight," Yoongi said before exhaling. "Do I have to go through the window again?"

"It's back to the window." You smirked, shutting your wardrobe. Yoongi groaned, but easily sucked it up. It was nothing he couldn't handle. With all the exercise he got from dancing, you're sure climbing up the pipe will be a piece of cake to him. Unless Hoseok and Namjoon wanted to give it a try. You'd like to see them try it once.

After changing out into a warm outfit that was mainly dark colors, you went back into your bed to cover yourself with a blanket. You would sleep for the time being. With your phone right under your pillow, you shut your eyes. You managed to fall asleep for a couple of hours before your phone started buzzing again. Slowly opening your eyes, you got up and brought your phone up to your ear. It was Namjoon telling you that they were waiting outside. Rubbing your eyes, you turned to face the window. Outside was someone way too happy to see you. A shriek almost left your lips until you realized it was just Hoseok outside your window. Yoongi was with him too, waving his hand and laughing at your panic.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" You opened the window. "I thought you idiots were the homeless man or something!"

"What did I do?" Yoongi scoffed.

"I'm just excited to see you!" Hoseok whined. You shut the window behind you, careful not to accidentally push one of the boys off your roof. That would not be a good thing whatsoever. No matter how hard they scared you.

"Let's just go." You sigh, climbing down the pipeline. It's been a while since you've had to do this. The second your feet were on the ground, you rushed to hug Namjoon. He was waiting like a normal person by your driveway. He chuckled, his embrace already warming you up from the cold air. "Hey Joonie."

"You cold?" Namjoon zipped up your jacket even higher. He rubbed your arms before hugging you again, smiling at your soft giggle. "I'll warm you up."

"I love my personal heater." You grinned as the two boys jumped off the pipeline.

"Hey, remember you're my girlfriend tonight." Yoongi reminded.

"On it." You sighed to yourself, seeing Hoseok frowning behind Yoongi.

"I can warm you up too." Hoseok opened up his arms.

"Nope." Namjoon held you tight enough to pick you up. Hoseok and Yoongi's eyes widened, watching Namjoon run to the bus stop with you in his arms. Right away, Yoongi and Hoseok started chasing after the thief. You couldn't stop laughing and Namjoon was blushing hard, but his laughter was cute.

"Get back here, Kim Namjoon!" Yoongi shouted.

"(F/n)! We're coming to save you!" Hoseok promised.

The robbery wasn't too successful. Namjoon had nowhere else to run once the two of you arrived at the bus stop. He was honestly surprised you hadn't tried to escape yourself. Why would you though? You felt pretty comfortable and it was fun being carried. By the time Yoongi and Hoseok showed up, they playfully smacked Namjoon and acted as your bodyguards. These boys. Their efforts were appreciated though. The four of you entered the bus, ignoring the judging looks from the bus driver. Yoongi ended up glaring back during the ride. He had enough of the judgment and it worked. The driver quickly stopped glancing at you guys, focusing only on the road after one of Yoongi's killer glares.

The three of you clapped while Yoongi smirked. It wasn't long before the four of you arrived near Midnight Measure. Everyone got off the bus and ran towards the night spot. It's been a while since you guys have shown up. Yoongi and Namjoon looked happy to return, immediately getting greeted the second they stepped in. You followed close behind as Hoseok stayed close to you. He was still nervous but surprised to see people greeting him. He found that exciting and quickly grew comfortable at Midnight Measure again. A couple people remembered him from the mini concert where he displayed his potential as a rapper.

Hoseok joined the rest of you with a newfound confidence. His smile was wider than it had ever been in Midnight Measure. Hoseok was even making poses as if he was a celebrity. Was this a good thing or bad thing? Right now you weren't sure, but it was pretty funny. You found it amusing and Namjoon hoped it wouldn't go to his head. They'll be getting attention once they do the first round of the contest on live television. Namjoon didn't want Hoseok acting like someone else all of sudden. Meanwhile Yoongi was pretending to take pictures of Hoseok by acting like his paparazzi. You did your best not to lose it when Yoongi started asking him a bunch of random questions.

"Mr. Jung, how does it feel to be known as a rapper?"

"Awesome!"

"How would you say your debut went?"

"Unlike any other!" Hoseok crossed his arms.

"What's 2+2?"

"That's 4!" Hoseok bounced before giving a wink to Namjoon. The president wasn't flattered or impressed in the slightest.

"No one does it like you, Mr. Jung." Yoongi clapped his hands.

"You're gonna create a huge ego." Namjoon waved his hands, trying to make them stop. Hoseok immediately called his friend a party pooper. Namjoon laughed before threatening to punch him in the gut. Yoongi muttered for the two boys to not make a scene. He's one to talk.

"Alright, so what did we come here for besides proving that we're not weenies?" You questioned. All three of them stopped messing around and looked at each other. You're assuming no one in the zoo was clear about exactly why. So they just came here so they wouldn't be weenies? Yoongi shrugged and Hoseok was shaking his head, not wanting to have the attention on him. Your eyes had to land on the leader. Who else would answer? The tall male was rubbing the back of his head, mumbling that he came so Taehyung would stop crying and repeating the word 'weenie' so much. None of you knew what was up with the children. Sighing, you turned around to look over the area. As you did so, your eyes glanced over three familiar faces. But it wasn't Yoongi's fanboys.

You caught the attention of the three rappers. They stared at you in confusion until you pointed out the reason the children might have wanted them to come. Automatically, Yoongi scoffed and began cracking his fingers. What was he planning? Namjoon and Hoseok narrowed their eyes on the three boys coming over. It was none other than your rivals. Only three of the six rappers showed up. It was their eldest since the other three were as young as the little zoo. Your eyes met with Sangchan who was walking over with a smirk. Next to him was Minhyuk who had a tiny smile that he was clearly trying to make go away for intimidation. Then you felt yourself get excited to see Hyunho coming with them. He was silent and had no readable expression. He had his hands in his pockets and walked over, not showing much care for the situation.

"Ah sh*t, here we go again." Sangchan stood in front of you guys. "Ready to battle?"

"Is this why the kids told us to come?" Yoongi questioned.

"Yep! We told our young ones to pass on the message." Sangchan grinned.

"We didn't tell them to call you guys weenies though. They went a bit far with that." Minhyuk frowned.

"Sorry about that," Hyunho added. Before any of the boys could reply, you heard yourself speaking already.

"Oh, it's alright! Don't worry about it! Haha!" You wanted to punch yourself so badly. Your friends all stared at you, familiar with that giggle. It was the same one that you used to have around Seokjin. Each of them were displeased, but the three other rappers didn't care.

"Ah, glad to know it didn't offend you guys." Sangchan clapped his hands together. It took him a couple seconds to realize what he said. Once Minhyuk gasped and whispered something, Sangchan sighed heavily. "I mean, you guys better have been offended!"

"What is with the act, Dude?" Hoseok asked.

"What act?" Sangchan crossed his arms. Minhyuk quickly copied his leader and Hyunho did the same jokingly. The two laughed in the back, making their leader curious on what they found so funny. It was the first time you saw Hyunho react at anything. He appeared close to Minhyuk. At this moment, you were so grateful to Minhyuk. Hyunho's laughter almost had you on the floor, struggling to breathe.

"Anyway, you want to battle? Do you even know who you're up against, Kid?" Namjoon stepped forward. He looked down at Sangchan, trying to intimidate him. That's when Hyunho went in front of Sangchan as his hyung and as someone as the same age as you and your friends.

"And?" Hyunho raised his brows slightly. You quietly squealed, getting the attention of Hoseok and Yoongi. Those two had grown annoyed of you and you knew you disappointed Namjoon as well. Yoongi and Hoseok moved to stand behind Namjoon, adding to the intimidation. The glaring was strong between all of them that you had to take a step back. Namjoon nudged his head towards the stage, everyone following him over there. This was going to be exciting. The boys will learn what exactly their rivals have under their belt.

As they signed up and you waited, you saw Yoongi's fanboys running over to you. They heard that Suga had arrived to Midnight Measure. RM and J-Hope came with him too. The fanboys were all wide eyed as they came to you like their lives depended on it. Junsuh was even losing it with Jinyo and Jaegyu. All three of them were giggling when you noticed that they all had Suga pins on. Oh, Yoongi is going to love this. As you checked out the pins, you saw that Junsuh made one for RM too. Jaegyu then had to point out his that he made to support J-Hope. You're positive that Hoseok will find the gesture touching. Namjoon will find it cool and sweet. They'd be a lot more open to it compared to Yoongi who was embarrassed last time.

While you waited with the fanboys, you informed them on everything they had been missing. BTS got accepted into the competition. They cheered, hugging each other in complete joy. That wasn't all though. BTS already has a rival who is keeping an eye on them. Immediately, the fanboys had their eyes glued on you in interest. The rivals have successfully passed the auditions as well and have been appearing more in front of you guys. Like tonight for example. Jinyo was ready to fight, bouncing around. Jaegyu had to ask how old the rivals were, wanting to know how bad it would look if he beat them up. Junsuh muttered that they all must be underage. You nodded as you told them that their eldest was the same age as Yoongi and their youngest was in seventh grade.

"Don't go around beating children. What is wrong with you?" Jinyo smacked Jaegyu.

"You literally said you were up for a fight." Jaegyu growled. Jinyo flinched, latching onto Junsuh in fear. The taller male scowled at both of them, not putting up with their bickering as usual.

"Stop."

"Glad to have you guys back." You giggled. They all stared at you, smiling and agreeing themselves. It's been too long since you've seen them.

The lights began to dim down as the MC went on stage, introducing an exciting battle between a team of three versus three. A large crowded started to form in front of the stage. Interest drew at the idea of a team battle. The MC was living off it, hyping up the crowd and fueling the competitive nature between the rappers on stage. The fanboys were losing it at this point. First up in the battle were the leaders. Namjoon stepped up, getting cheers from his own two teammates. Hoseok and Yoongi knew he could do this. Then Sangchan stepped up, mainly getting cute little cheers from Minhyuk while Hyunho remained silent.

Junsuh was nervous as Namjoon brought the mic up to his mouth. It was a freestyle using the basic beat that the speakers were giving him. You bit your lip harshly the entire time. Namjoon was quick on his feet and clever when it came to freestyle. He's witty which always comes in handy, but you weren't quite sure what Sangchan was capable of when he became O.V. When Namjoon finished, his cheers were cut short from Sangchan coming in strong. His voice deepened when he rapped and it came off as powerful. Namjoon nodded along, not saying anything as Sangchan told the leader that BTS should be fearful of D-Crunch.

Their round finished quickly. Junsuh wasn't breathing the entire time. He silently stared at Jaegyu and Jinyo, communicating with them with his eyes. The two responded as if they could read his mind. It was always strange watching their interactions. But you'd be lying if you said you didn't miss them. Next to take the stage was Hoseok and Minhyuk. The two stared at each other with a grin mixed with a smirk. Once Hoseok started, Jaegyu was losing it over his boy's talent. Hoseok played with the basic beat and made it more exciting. He brought life to the stage, leaving Minhyuk a bit nervous. Hoseok's freestyle was still a bit shaky so he played it safe by performing a little bit of a rap he wrote himself called 'Baseline'. The beat was passed on to Minhyuk and he began to rap with his members cheering him on. Minhyuk's style was playful and energetic. He was good, but everyone knew Hoseok won that round.

Last on the list was Yoongi and Hyunho. You didn't know what to say when the two stood in front of each other. Yoongi's glare on Hyunho refused to show him mercy of any kind. Jinyo could feel it from his spot, thrilled to see Yoongi who had improved a lot in his freestyle. Hyunho only kept a stoic expression as Yoongi began to rap. His cold eyes watching the delinquent who was tearing him apart. Yoongi took the approach of making fun of Hyunho. Jinyo hissed, enjoying this savage side of Yoongi. Jaegyu and Junsuh were living for it as well.

Inside, you knew Yoongi took this approach since he wasn't happy with the idea of you finding their rival attractive. You were going to try and keep it to a minimum. Just like you did with Seokjin to the point where it gets so small that you forget about it. Technically, it took Seokjin telling you 'no' for you to finally give up but you didn't want Hyunho to ever find out. You found him attractive, yes. Were you interested in dating? Not quite. At least not at the moment. You barely know him and he is the rival for the group you're managing. Yoongi finished strong, panting heavily as he gave the stage to Hyunho. The male had white dyed hair that he ruffled up before bringing the mic up to his lips.

"_Move out of the way. Boom, boom, boom. Who's in here? Look who's here? Blah, blah. I chew gum, gum, gum. Yes, I'm a large rookies on ya. You undermine us and you'll get in trouble. Just one click and I'll steal all your new items. You can shake your head no, but there's no mercy. I'm a dream stealer._" Hyunho finished his part confidently while Minhyuk and Sangchan looked a little pale. As the MC came back on stage, he did the usual voting system. By the amount of cheers and applause. As the cheers were tallied, you saw Sangchan say something to your friends. Minhyuk mimicked shutting a zipper on his lips to them which made you furrow your brows. Hyunho only shrugged, mumbling something to them. The MC then blocked your view of them, struggling to note which group got the higher amount of cheers. The volume of votes seemed incredibly similar.

"It's a tie!" The MC laughed. "Aw, well. Thanks for playing."

"This is bullsh*t!" Jinyo kicked the ground. "Obviously, our boys won!"

"The other group wasn't that bad though as frustrating as it is," Jaegyu grumbled. "I still prefer our boy's group."

"They're coming." Junsuh pointed out. Your rappers left the back room, walking over with disappointed faces. They certainly weren't happy with the outcome of the battle results. If they got a tie here, what would they get during the competition? The votes are basically done the same. The audience gets to decide who stays in. The celebrity hosts are really only there for decoration and not to judge. You got off your chair to walk up to the three.

"We should have won." Yoongi huffed.

"It was pretty close, but I definitely heard more for us." Hoseok frowned. "I'm not crazy."

"There's nothing we can do about it now. Let's just shake it off," Namjoon told them. He ran a hand through his hair, unhappy with the results too. "...I can't believe we got a tie though. If we got a tie with them, imagine the competition we'll be up against..." Namjoon began to frown and Hoseok paled. Yoongi remained annoyed, considering it a loss in the end.

"All of your freestyles were amazing!" You tried to cheer them up. Only Hoseok and Namjoon gave you smiles while Yoongi didn't look as moved. Your positivity started to slip at the way he was staring at you. Again, you spoke without thinking and your tone came off annoyed, "What?"

"Did you cheer for Hyunho?" Yoongi growled. Hoseok instantly pulled Yoongi back when he tried taking a step closer.

"No! I didn't!" You instantly took offense. "I didn't come here for him, did I?"

"Yoongi's just pissed that we didn't win." Namjoon roughly patted the delinquent's back. The redhead wasn't in the mood for it. He moved away from Namjoon, walking over to his fanboys. All of them were quick to lift his spirits up and make him feel better. You were still left hurt by his question, but you understood why he snapped at you like that. "You okay, (F/n)?"

"I'm fine." You nodded, attempting to shrug the incident off. "What did you guys talk about on stage?" Namjoon only said that Hyunho rapped the lyrics to a song they were planning on performing at the contest. They didn't think he would bring it out in the battle. That's why they looked so pale with shock. Sangchan and Minhyuk instantly told them to forget the rap and not to spread it around. It made sense, making you nod your head again. Hoseok shoved his hands in his pockets, looking over at Yoongi before looking at you.

"Your boyfriend has a really short temper when it comes to this stuff, huh?" Hoseok asked, laughing when you agreed without hesitation. At least his little joke was able to make you laugh. Namjoon grinned until he felt someone tap his shoulder. The laughter died down between you and Hoseok to see Sangchan standing there. Minhyuk and Hyunho were standing near the exit, waiting for their leader to hurry up. Yoongi stopped talking with his fanboys once he saw Sangchan near Namjoon. He paused his conversation, walking over to see what his rival wanted this time.

"Bring your dancers on Friday. Behind the old club called Poppin'." Sangchan's eyes looked over at Hoseok. You even glanced at the orange hair, seeing his interest grow. That was his familiar territory. Hoseok licked his lips, ready for Friday to come by. Sangchan turned around and walked off with his two members. You were surprised, but ready to see the little battles between them before the concert.

"Jimin and Jungkook are going to love this." Hoseok rubbed his hands together.

"You're not bringing Taehyung?" Namjoon raised a brow.

"I need to use the bathroom." Hoseok moonwalked away. Namjoon gasped, following his friend who was moonwalking at a faster pace. It was amusing until you accidentally made eye contact with Yoongi. The second you did, you realized the air was still awkward between the two of you. He hadn't apologized and you weren't in the mood anymore to give him his girlfriend hug. Yoongi coughed, scratching the back of his head. His eyes were darting around everywhere and landed on his fanboys. All three of them, mainly Jinyo, were telling him to man up. Jinyo mouthed that if Yoongi didn't apologize to you that he was going to start selling the Suga pins to everyone at Midnight Measure. Yoongi swallowed at the threat, facing you again with a sigh.

"Sorry about the sh*t I said. I know you wouldn't cheer for Hyunho. Crush or not." Yoongi shoved his hands in his pockets. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"Thank you. I appreciate the apology." You felt better and opened your arms up. Yoongi was shocked but took the chance to hug you with more enthusiasm than you thought. You smiled fondly, wrapping your arms around him tightly. "You know I'm faithful, Oppa."

"I thought you had two other boyfriends," Yoongi said.

"...you got me there." You giggled and Yoongi couldn't help but snort. It was absolutely adorable.

"A-Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something." Yoongi pulled away slowly but kept you in his arms. You looked up at him curiously to see his face turning pink. "My Eomma told me to invite you for dinner. She's been asking me nonstop and I think I'll get in trouble if I keep ignoring her, but I know we can't have that with the contest coming up so...would you like to have dinner with me, Eomma, and Myunghan?"

(Left to Right: Sangchan [O.V.], Minhyuk, Hyunho)


	37. Family Dinner

Ch.37

Dinner with Yoongi's...'family'? You didn't quite know what to call it. Yoongi refused to consider Mr. Yoo family so you were trying your best to dance around that. It's going to be so awkward sitting with them. Ms. Min probably thinks your Yoongi's girlfriend or that he's into you. Then Mr. Yoo is your principal and the last time you saw him at Yoongi's house, he was yelled at by your friend. The entire family dynamic was complicated. Yoongi admitted that he knows that his mom loves Mr. Yoo and that he's not leaving any time soon. So he figured this dinner he'll try to raise his tolerance of that man but needs you there with him.

So you did what any other friend would do. You accepted. Though the dinner might be awkward, you wanted you help Yoongi finally cope with the stranger in his house. He's going to have to deal with Mr. Yoo at school and at home. Even the sound of that was frustrating to you. It explains why Yoongi feels so angry. It must feel like Mr. Yoo is forcing himself into Yoongi's life any way he can. Heck, the whole reason Yoongi goes to this school in the first place is because of his mom's new husband. Yoongi wanted to stop angering his mother, especially with the contest coming around. It was going to start at the beginning of next month.

Your boys have already started preparing for the first round. They had the dance down. Their performance was solid and you found the song catchy. It was titled 'Boy in Luv' and you were excited to see it on stage. You received an email by the director of the competition. BTS had a photo shoot next weekend for promotional teasers. Also so they could have a photo for viewers to see when they vote. It was starting to feel more real as you continued to get an influx of emails informing you about contest related things. BTS's calendar was beginning to get a little packed, but you made sure they didn't stress.

You would do anything at the moment so they wouldn't get stressed. Even if that included an awkward 'family' dinner. Now that you had plans again tonight, you wouldn't be able to watch them practice and Yoongi wouldn't be able to make it. Yoongi was planning to use piano lessons as his excuse. You didn't really have one. Nothing besides your parents telling you no which didn't really sound like them. None of the boys have met your parents, but from what they knew was that they were pretty relaxed. That's why your parents never really found out about your old 'friends'. Mom had her suspicions, but she never out right chased after them. Dad should worry more about harmful friends than boys. It's okay though. He'll learn.

"Jungkook works very hard as our maknae and main vocal. I wish we could give him a raise," Hoseok mumbled. Even though he tried to keep his voice low, Seokjin's ears twitched at the front of the class. He sat up straight in his seat to look at the four of you. All of you were in the back as always.

"I want to get paid too. Manager?" Yoongi eyed you with a smirk.

"None of you have even debuted." You sighed. Not to mention, you're not even a real manager. Yoongi dramatically groaned despite knowing that would be the answer.

Namjoon on the other hand remained quiet. He chewed his bottom lip, tapping his pencil on an empty page in his notebook. Namjoon hasn't been able to write lyrics for a while now. He starts before he scraps it all. Yoongi told you that he was just having a mental block. It would pass soon according to him. You really hope so. Namjoon swore under his breath, completely unaware that the rest of you were staring at him. Not even jokes could pull him away from his notebook. He wanted to stay focused and finally write a song that he felt was worthy for the fourth final round. If BTS is able to make it that far.

"Are you not hearing us, Leader?" Hoseok joked, but you could hear the hint of sadness in his voice.

Namjoon continued to tap his pencil. Hoseok frowned, worried for his close friend. Yoongi's gummy smile was disappearing too. While the idea of rivals had been good for hyping up the others, it only stressed Namjoon out. It made the competition more real. After the battle with three of D-Crunch's rappers, Namjoon has been a bit on edge. He's spent the entire morning trying to write just the first verse of the song. You thought it would have been Yoongi to act like this based on yesterday. You believe that Namjoon's main issue was that he was trying to write a hit song. Not one from his heart.

"Hey relax, Joon. I'll write the final song." Yoongi placed a hand on the president.

"Huh? What?" Namjoon quickly lifted his head. He blinked at the delinquent before shaking his head. "Oh...no. That's fine. I want to write this one..."

"Yes, but you're struggling. Quit and take a break. You're not doing yourself any favors by forcing it," Yoongi bluntly stated.

"But—"

"Nope. Break." Yoongi grabbed his notebook. Namjoon's eyes widened with panic to have his most prized and personal possession pried away from him. Hoseok took his pencil away, quickly breaking it.

"Hoseok!" Namjoon shouted.

"Sorry..." Hoseok chuckled awkwardly. He didn't mean to take it that far. It was more of a 'spur of the moment' kind of thing. Namjoon huffed, his sad eyes traveling over to Yoongi.

"You're not getting this back until the end of the day." Yoongi shoved the notebook into his backpack.

"Y-You can't do that! Min Yoongi, as class president, I cannot allow you to steal other's belongings—"

"I will beat your @ss and in front of your little brother." Yoongi kicked his legs up onto his desk. "Who also happens to be one of my many fans."

Namjoon stiffened to hear that. Hoseok covered his mouth in shock, unable to believe that Yoongi took it that far. Especially now that Namjoon and Taehyung were closer than ever before. You sighed, feeling like you were going to get involved in this. Namjoon opened his mouth to say something and you were ready to cut him off before it was too late. That never happened though. Namjoon closed his mouth and ended up pouting his lips. He looked over at you with similar puppy eyes that reminded you of Taehyung's. It runs in the family and like both, it's hard for you to ignore.

"Yoongi, apologize." You sighed.

"No." Yoongi shook his head.

"Jungkook's my biggest fan!" Namjoon childishly pointed out. Immediately, Hoseok looked over his shoulder to see Seokjin getting up from his seat. Anytime his nephew was mentioned or anything related to BTS, he took that as an invitation to come over.

"You said his name too loudly." Hoseok laughed.

Seokjin did his best to casually walk over. He heavily leaned over students as they did their work, making little comments about their progress. Yoongi rolled his eyes but was excited to have the teacher coming their way. Hoseok didn't mind the company and Namjoon was a bit frustrated that the attention was no longer on him. He had you on his side for a good second. Seokjin finally made his way to the four of you, looking each of you over. His eyes wandered onto your desks, seeing that only classwork was out and nothing related to the contest. His brows instantly furrowed at the sight.

"What's going on?" Seokjin put on his teacher voice.

"We're working...slowly." Namjoon shrugged.

"We'll pick up the pace, Mr. Kim!" Hoseok promised.

"Once we feel like it." Yoongi closed his eyes, preparing for a nap. That earned him a slap from the class president who wasn't allowing any slackers in his class.

"We'll work hard," Namjoon stated.

"You don't have to worry about us, Mr. Kim." You waved at him. The purple hair frowned, fidgeting as he watched all of you. It quickly became clear that Seokjin didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay and chat with you guys. Yoongi happily patted a seat next to him.

"I'm just keeping a close eye on your four..." Seokjin spoke oddly as he sat down. Other students have noticed Seokjin's favoritism but haven't really said anything. Seokjin then began to whisper, "I heard Kookie's name! What about him? Also, we're practicing today, right? Should I bring anything? It's going to be a little warmer today."

"We were just saying how talented Kookie is. That's all." You assured him to see him beam with pride.

"Isn't he?" Seokjin held back his cheers. His voice was dripping with enthusiasm that it made all of you chuckle. He was struggling so hard to hold it all back.

"We'll be practicing today too. Bring anything you want as long as you have enough for everyone." Namjoon smiled. Seokjin clapped his hands as he jumped up. He muttered something about making a list.

At the mention of practice, Yoongi and you shared a knowing glance. The two of you wouldn't be able to make it. You wanted to have time to get ready for dinner. It felt like a big deal and you wanted to prepare yourself. With that in your head, your stare stayed longer than it should have. It was suspicious and had not gone unnoticed. Hoseok cocked a brow at the two of you. His eyes quickly darted over to Namjoon who had remained oblivious. Hoseok struggled to keep secrets from Namjoon. Almost as much as Namjoon struggled to listen to any of you. The president took Seokjin's distraction to secretly pull out another pencil and notepad to write on.

"Yah!!" Hoseok smacked the blonde's back.

"Holy—" Namjoon winced.

"Do you know anything I don't?" Hoseok grabbed Namjoon's face by force. The male automatically furrowed his brows at his friend. Not only at the question but also at the way he was being treated. Despite his lips being smooshed and being forced to face you and Yoongi, Namjoon stayed calm. "Those two are hiding something."

"They are?" Namjoon did his best to make his words clear. It was a litter hard due to Hoseok. Namjoon soon looked at you which you hoped he wasn't going to do. You wanted him to look at Yoongi and have him be questioned first. "(F/n)?"

"I...uh—"

"Secrets!" Hoseok piped.

"No!" You shook your head.

"Hobi, shush." Namjoon's brows puckered.

"...I just can't make it to practice today." You shrugged, hoping the questions would stop here.

"I can't either. Piano," Yoongi added.

"Oh...I see. That's unfortunate." Namjoon removed Hoseok's hands from his face.

"Lies!" Hoseok jumped onto his feet. "There's something more and I know it!"

You felt your eye twitch. Why couldn't he just drop it or believe it like Namjoon? The blonde was shocked at Hoseok's little outburst meanwhile Yoongi sighed in annoyance. He wasn't in the mood for this either. He crossed his arms, sinking in his desk. Hoseok kept his brows furrowed as he eyed the both of you. His finger was shoved in Yoongi's face, invading his personal space. Hoseok was easily testing Yoongi's patience at this point. He found out once Yoongi tried to chomp off his finger. Luckily, Hoseok pulled back before he could lose a digit. You sighed, knowing that Hoseok wasn't going to give it up now that he had his mind on it. If there's one thing you learned about Hoseok since befriending him, it's that he's stubborn as sh*t.

Hoseok was going to make a big scene out of it until he found out the truth. You knew he wasn't afraid to take big measures. He literally tried crawling away from you with a bad ankle when you wanted to get him checked by a doctor. Hoseok's lack of shame and strong personality was going to win this battle. There was no question about it. Even Namjoon was starting to grow curious. Yoongi and you were getting too quiet. Things were looking odd to him as well which is just great. Yoongi was losing energy to put up with Hoseok, but he was going to keep his personal life to himself no matter what. He closed his eyes, attempting to take a nap and ignore the nosy boy. You on the other hand...you were easier to break.

"(F/n)." Hoseok turned to you with a smile.

"Leave me alone." You frowned.

"You don't mean that, Babe." Hoseok walked up to you. Yoongi's eyes popped open instantly and Namjoon stopped staring at the two of you in interest. He quickly snapped his head in Hoseok's direction with a light glare. The popular boy ignored the stares, smirking at your intensifying blush. How dare he? Your cheeks were heating up more in embarrassment. Before you could reply with a sassy retort, Hoseok was pulled back by his collar. Yoongi had stood up grumpily from his seat, forcing the orange hair who was now trembling to look him in the eyes. Yoongi did not look happy.

"Don't fight on campus!" Namjoon pursed his lips. "...do it at my house."

"Namjoon!!" You and Hoseok shouted.

"(F/n) and I are busy together. That's it." Yoongi growled. "If you're so interested then ask the principal."

"...Y-You're so cool, Yoongi." Hoseok pet the red head's hair. Yoongi quickly dropped him on the floor, shaking his head and trying not to laugh. You were still surprised by how Yoongi reacted. That wasn't something you expected from him. Hoseok was on the floor, whining as he rubbed his butt. Namjoon didn't help by telling the boy that he had it coming to him. That earned him a strong glare from Hoseok that he only shrugged off with laughter. Yoongi found it equally hilarious, the two of them gladly picking on their pouting friend.

These boys. You shook your head at them. It wasn't long before you came to Hoseok's rescue. You only told them to go easy on him. That instantly got Hoseok to latch onto you for protection. He hugged you tightly which you tolerated. It wasn't until the bell rang that Hoseok left with you in his arms. This idiot! Why are you always getting stolen? You shouted for your bag that stayed behind in the classroom. Namjoon and Yoongi were on the move, holding your backpack and chasing after Hoseok. Lots of people were in the hall and laughed at Hoseok's antics. They found it funny and all in good fun. How he's able to charm the snobby students is beyond you.

Eventually, you were put down when Hoseok accidentally bumped into the principal. That was a very awkward conversation you had to go through. The two of you bowed and apologized for running in the halls. It's not safe and all that crap. By the time you guys finished, Yoongi and Namjoon caught up. The scowl on Yoongi's face wasn't even trying to hide. You stayed close to the orange hair as Yoongi basically scolded Principal Yoo for making you guys apologize. It was the strangest thing you had to deal with. No one spoke but them. It was towards the very end when Principal Yoo allowed you guys to continue your school day. Everything was fine and then...

"See you at dinner tonight, (F/n)! Glad you could join our family for it!" He waved and walked away. Hoseok and Namjoon gasped while you let your face fall into your hands. So much for all your efforts to keep it under wraps.

In the end, Hoseok and Namjoon found out you were having dinner with the Min's and Mr. Yoo. They thought it was weird but Yoongi explained. He basically told them what he told you. His mom wanted to meet one of his friends already. Apparently, Mr. Yoo tells her everything that he knows about Yoongi at school. She knows that you're his first friend and has learned that he has two others. Not to mention, he already has a favorite teacher. Yoongi was more than annoyed, but there was nothing he could do about it. His mom wanted to know what he does at school and he doesn't tell her. Now his mom wants to get to know you and her patience with Yoongi's constant attitude is running thin again.

Namjoon and Hoseok understood at that point. They left it to you guys to figure out how the dinner would go. You couldn't put it in the back of your mind anymore. When the school day ended, dinner was becoming a reality. Oh no. You nervously told your parents that you would be eating with at a friend's house for dinner. They didn't think anything of it until Mom caught you stressing over what to wear. She sneaked into your room with a black lace dress, a huge grin on her face. It was actually really pretty in your opinion. It ended above your knees and it was flowy. It had a bateau neckline and sleeves that ended at your elbows.

Mom wouldn't leave you alone after you put on the dress that she mysteriously had. It fit perfectly and you were a bit suspicious. It was best not to ask any questions though. If Mom was willing to work her magic and do all the hard stuff for you, who were you to complain? She already knew what she wanted to do for your hair and makeup. Despite all her efforts sounding like a lot, you looked business casual. A little formal but nothing strange or over the top. Mom kept her smirk small as she watched you do multiple twirls in front of the mirror. You're just so surprised!

"I have so many questions...but the answers aren't important," You said, smiling at your appearance.

"D*mn right. Now you're getting it, Sweetie." Mom plucked off a piece of lint from your shoulder. Once it was gone, she hugged you from behind. "My beautiful darling. You definitely get your looks from me."

"Of course!" You laughed.

"What's going on here?" Dad's voice entered the room. The giggling died down at his knuckles knocking against the open door. He stepped in, mystified by the situation. You bit your lip meanwhile your mother handled it.

"She's going off to dinner with her friend. Remember?" Mom crossed her arms.

"...at a restaurant?" Dad tilted his head. "I don't know...what was her name again?"

"He thinks you're going to a boy's house." Mom sighed, looking at you. Dad stiffened at the mention of you near the opposite sex. It was his biggest fear. You could already see him growing glum with his usual delusional thoughts flooding in.

"Yoonji! Her name is Yoonji and I have to get going. Thanks for helping me, Eomma!" You kissed her on the cheek before turning to your Dad. He looked at you with more light in his eyes. You did your best not to sigh like your Mom. Instead, you hugged him so he would feel comforted. "Bye, Appa."

"Be safe!" Dad shouted as you left. He slowly turned to face his wife, a small pout on his face. "I want to meet her friends. She's always with those three girls...what were their names again? Yoonji..."

"Yoonji, Namjoo, and Hosook." Mom easily listed them off. Dad's mouth turned into an 'o' as he left your bedroom. Mom let out another soft sigh, shaking her head as she slowly left your room with all the time in the world. "Three female friends. Ha, yeah right."

*~*

Dinner. Why is it suddenly such a terrifying concept? Your hands were sweating a little more than you would have liked. Maybe that's also because you had to walk your way over to Yoongi's house. That could be a reason too. During the entire walk over, you were rehearsing answers in your head for any questions that might be thrown at you. How school is going, your grades, your interests, what you do with the boys, and little things about Yoongi. Dinner had to go well for his mom to be satisfied but also not too well so she wouldn't invite you again.

How the hell are you going to pull this off?

Gosh, this was too stressful. You'd rather deal with managing all the things for the contest. BTS would be having its tech this weekend. Then the first round of the concert begins next month and that date is coming closer. That's something you would like to focus on more. It sounds better than trying to convince Yoongi's mom that her son is doing well and that you're a good friend. When you arrived at the door, you took in a deep breath and muttered for yourself to relax. You can't let your worry show through the dinner. You have to be present at dinner. Not just physically.

The second you raised your fist to rap your knuckles against the door, it opened wide. Your brows jumped in surprise to see Yoongi standing in front of you. He was cleaned up for tonight as well. A small smile grew on your face to see him in a white button up shirt and black slacks. His mother must have told him to dress this way. Yoongi's pale face was pink at first until he saw your outfit. The both of you don't look weird when you're together. Yoongi relaxed while you began to blush with how long he had been staring at you. He wasn't stepping to the side to let you in or saying anything. Nothing but staring at you gently.

"Yoongi?" You waved your hand in front of his face.

"Hm?" Yoongi blinked.

"Gonna let me in? Or what?" You grinned to see him flush. "Am I that gorgeous tonight?"

"I guess you know how to clean up well after all," Yoongi grumbled, letting you in. What an adorable little @sshole. You pinched his cheek as you entered his house. Yoongi instantly smacked your hand away from his face. He gave you a playful glare and you knew he wanted revenge. You were laughing until his hand flipped up the back of your dress. You squeaked, covering your hands and preventing him from seeing anything. You turned to face his smug expression with a pink face.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" You hissed.

"What? I'm your boyfriend." Yoongi stepped closer to you, his chest almost touching yours. You stared into his eyes, swallowing harder than you intended. He eyed you with a smirk that wasn't going away.

"I'll have you know that I have two other boyfriends too," You remarked.

"But I was your first." Yoongi leaned his face closer to yours. Your heart almost stopped and your mind went blank. You weren't functioning, but Yoongi knew what he was doing. His eyes scanned your face as they slowly went down. It wasn't until someone cleared their throat that the two of you jumped away from each other. No! Your heart was racing in confusion. What's going on? Placing your hand on your chest, you looked over to see Ms. Min watching her son carefully.

"Did I interrupt something?" She spoke with slight amusement.

"No. Nothing at all." Yoongi walked past her, heading towards the dining room. His mom watched him leave with a small smile. Her eyes eventually went over to you, noting how embarrassed you were. She waved you over and you slowly inched your way towards her.

"The two of you are very cute together." Ms. Min hummed as she adjusted the necklace you were wearing.

"Huh? Oh no! We're just friends!" You shook your head profusely.

"Time will tell. Now come on. Head into the dinner room and sit where you like." Ms. Min turned around, walking to the kitchen. "Thank you for coming!"

"T-Thank you for having me!" You replied back, scurrying in the direction that Yoongi had vanished off to.

That was too embarrassing. You entered the dining room, glad that Yoongi was the only one seated. Mr. Yoo hasn't appeared yet. Taking a seat next to Yoongi, you took the chance to kick him from under the table. You ignored his displeasure with your actions. He should know better than to tease you like that in his own home. It's so easy for his mom to misunderstand. That's something you don't have time to deal with. You already have an emotionally insecure father. That's more than enough. At least Yoongi knew why he got kicked and didn't bother trying to pull another thing with you.

As you got comfortable at the table, Mr. Yoo came in from the kitchen. He greeted you with a smile on his face. It still felt awkward talking to him. Yoongi on the other hand didn't care as much. He was too focused on unbuttoning his shirt by two. It had been buttoned all the way up, but it must have felt like it was choking him. Mr. Yoo didn't take a seat like you thought he would. He remained standing as if he was waiting. You were about to ask until Ms. Min came rushing in with multiple plates in her arms. She was carrying more than she could handle but was doing her best to bring it all to the table. Mr. Yoo quickly went to help her, chuckling at her huffy behavior.

"I told you that I could hold them all," She mumbled.

"That's what you always say." Mr. Yoo helped her set them down. "Let's not have the food fall on the ground when we have a guest."

"You like to bring that up all the time, don't you?" Ms. Min playfully glared at him.

"It's fun." Mr. Yoo grinned, kissing her on the cheek. They were so affectionate with each other that you had to look down at your lap, but you smiled at it anyway. Yoongi wasn't in the same mood though.

"Do you want me to eat?" Yoongi rolled his eyes. Mr. Yoo froze, pulling away from Ms. Min who gave her son a stern look. She was only going to give him a look until she spotted an imperfection. Without wasting time, she rushed over to grab Yoongi's shirt. "Eomma!"

"I'm telling you to keep it buttoned all the way," Ms. Min said sternly, not wanting Yoongi to protest any longer.

"But it's hard to breathe!" Yoongi grumbled.

"How do you think I feel in this dress? And sit up." Ms. Min tapped his shoulder. Yoongi groaned as he straightened his posture. His mother didn't hear it, but you heard him mumble, 'what am I? Namjoon?'. You would have chuckled, but you were too busy checking your own posture. Ms. Min noticed and smiled at your efforts. She sat down at the head of the table and grabbed her husband's plate. Ms. Min took the time to serve everyone their own plate. She fixed her own food up at the end and sighed in relief that the hard part for her was all over. The hard part for you was just getting started.

Ms. Min and Mr. Yoo were having an easier time getting comfortable in their seats. They were already acting as if this was a normal dinner. Yoongi tugged at his collar but didn't unbutton it to make his mother happy. You were a happy that you didn't feel like you were intruding on their dinner like you originally thought you would. The only thing you really felt was hesitation. You didn't want to bring too much attention to yourself. You were already the guest. The was enough to give you the spotlight for the rest of your time here. All you wanted was to keep your presence here to a minimum.

It was hard to go unnoticed when you're the guest though. That was to be expected. Ms. Min glanced at you a number of times, probably to see your reaction to her food. Mr. Yoo looked like he was enjoying it and Yoongi was taking his time. You ate her food and grinned. It's as good as it looks! You were eating pretty quick which caused Mr. Yoo to pour you a glass of water. As you were finishing your plate, Ms. Min quietly pushed more food in your direction in case you wanted seconds. It reminded you of Yoongi and how he secretly took care of his friends. Ms. Min's eyes traveled over to Yoongi, smiling at him softly as he chewed his food.

"What?" Yoongi asked.

"Nothing. Eat your food." Ms. Min waved her hand. She didn't want to interrupt him from enjoying his food. Yoongi only sighed, returning to his meal. "Cha (F/n), is it?"

"Hm?" You flinched. You didn't expect to be called so randomly. She stared at you, her eyes sharp and intimidating as her son's. "Y-Yes, that's my name."

"I heard you cook too. I'm grateful you took a second plate of my food." She smiled. "That's quite the honor."

"Oh, well it's really good! Thank you again, Ms. Min." You bowed your head. You felt jittery all over before realizing something. She knows you cook. You began to tilt your head and she already knew where your mind was wandering.

"Myunghan tells me that you're the one making sure that my baby doesn't starve." Ms. Min brought her hand over to Mr. Yoo's. She squeezed it, her warm eyes looking at her son. Yoongi's ears were turning red and he groaned with his mouth full. "He's such a stubborn baby."

"He really is." You giggled, feeling more comfortable. Yoongi looked at you with stuffed cheeks. He really didn't like the conversation happening in front of him. "I do give him food and try my best to help him out as a friend."

"I appreciate it." Ms. Min brought her hand back to her chopsticks. She began to eat again while Mr. Yoo wiped his mouth. He finished his second plate with a huge smile.

"(F/n) takes care of him and Namjoon helps him study for math," Mr. Yoo stated, earning a glare from the red head. "Kim Namjoon. He's the class president of Yoongi-ya's homeroom class."

"Thank goodness Yoongi has such good influences as friends." Ms. Min placed meat on her son's plate, knowing he would want more. "Though wasn't there one more friend you have, Baby? Jung Hoseok?"

"I don't get why you remembered his name...I don't even talk about my friends." Yoongi stuffed meat in his mouth.

"I like to know." Ms. Min shrugged. "So how about this Hoseok?" She asked, more for Yoongi or even you to answer. Mr. Yoo ended up taking this as his turn to speak.

"He's...a bit lacking. He could use some improvement," Mr. Yoo said, making you stiff and Yoongi stabbed his steamed carrot. "He occasionally causes a scene and last I know, has no plans for after he graduates. It's a good thing though that he gets tutored by Namjoon. At least I know he makes efforts towards his grades which is very important. It shows that he's willing to improve on his character."

"That's hilarious." Yoongi scowled. "Don't talk about my friend when you don't know anything about him." Yoongi's icy words were as cold as his eyes. Ms. Min was surprised while Mr. Yoo cleared his throat.

"Hoseok is really friendly! He was able to get Yoongi out of his comfort zone and I'd say is the main reason Yoongi has grown to be a teeny bit more understanding and kind towards our classmates," You said as you faced his mom who listened with interest. "Hoseok is a great guy all around."

"He helps me be more positive. People have an easier time approaching me because of him." Yoongi kept a glare at the principal. You felt the tension increasing in the room. "Most people think I'm a delinquent and a d*ck. At least Hoseok helps people know that I'm not the rumors the school has spread."

"Rumors?" Ms. Min dropped her utensils to look at her husband for answers. She wasn't too fond of bad things being said about her son. Why wasn't her husband doing anything about it? Mr. Yoo swallowed with confused eyes, letting you know that he wasn't even aware of the toxic atmosphere every school could carry. Not even a prestigious academy like Sehwang was safe.

"Don't worry about them, Eomma. They're dumb." Yoongi sighed as he continued eating. Ms. Min wasn't too convinced and Mr. Yoo stuttered out that he would get to the bottom of it. He insisted that this wouldn't be an issue for long. Yoongi and you knew otherwise. Rumors may become quiet, but the label will stay.

Your mind couldn't help but go back to Yoongi's thoughts on Mr. Yoo. You agree that Mr. Yoo isn't inherently a bad person. He seems pretty okay and he really does care for Ms. Min. Yoongi said himself that he knows how happy he makes his mom. The only thing is that he doesn't like how Mr. Yoo thinks he can become a 'Dad' for him. He doesn't believe that Mr. Yoo should get all this respect all of sudden like his mom believes. To Yoongi, he still felt like Mr. Yoo was a stranger and was slightly uncomfortable with his attempts. Yoongi felt okay with not having a dad in his life.

There were a lot of things you couldn't fully understand, but only because you weren't in his shoes. You grew up with a father and you love him. In your mind, if you didn't have one growing up and one came by wanting to fill in the role, you didn't see a reason why not to give him a chance. But you suppose it's not that simple. Most of Mr. Yoo's attempts have been superficial and Yoongi said that Mr. Yoo paid more attention to his mother until they were married. That's when Mr. Yoo figured he should become something for Yoongi. For Mr. Yoo, he formed his own thoughts about the situation and believes this is what's for the best. And Yoongi has reasons to act coldly towards him. Mr. Yoo isn't always the most understanding and has been hurtful towards your friend.

"I hope you're not too uncomfortable with me here, (F/n)." Mr. Yoo chuckled.

"I'm getting used to it if I'm being honest." You gave him a nervous smile.

"I understand that." Mr. Yoo nodded. He cleaned his hands with his napkin as Yoongi swallowed his food. The delinquent had a frustrated expression, not too happy with where the conversation was starting to go. "So (F/n), I believe I never asked you. Is there anything you plan to be when you graduate?"

"Me?" You felt your hands getting sweaty again. This was not one of the questions you prepared yourself for. D*mn it. You should have known this was going to come up with him being your principal! Ms. Min's eyes landed on you and you felt the pressure.

"Can we not talk about school stuff?" Yoongi stepped in.

"It's an innocent question, Yoongi." Ms. Min frowned.

"No, it's really not." Yoongi gritted his teeth.

"Yoongi-ya is only snappy because he doesn't know what he wants to do yet," Mr. Yoo tried explaining. You furrowed your brows to hear this coming from him. What does he mean by that? Out of most people you know, Yoongi would certainly know what to do with his future. He's planned it and aims for it with his hard work. Music is his passion. It's so obvious, but how come they were so oblivious? Even Ms. Min was nodding her head to her husband's words.

"I do!" Yoongi snapped. "I keep telling the both of you that I want to produce music!"

"Min Yoongi, don't start. Not with a guest." Ms. Min quickly warned.

"We've told you that music is just a hobby. It's not a real job." Mr. Yoo shook his head.

You felt hurt and upset for Yoongi. He's complained to you before about the lack of understanding he has to deal with. Now that you were here to witness it, you were speechless. It was as if something was caught in your throat. You wanted to defend your friend, but all you could do was watch Yoongi fume and lose his temper at them. That only caused his argument to seem unreasonable instead of well informed. They didn't see his passion. They only saw it as an obsession. Yoongi didn't care to be famous. He wanted to be successful at creating music and that was it.

Mr. Yoo and Ms. Min weren't moved by any of the words they've heard a thousand times before. Yoongi listed off all kinds of artists. That was their job and they were paid well. It _is_ a job. But it wasn't a stable one according to Mr. Yoo and Ms. Min thought the competition was too high to actually get anywhere with it. They weren't even giving him a chance. Both adults felt like they were talking to a wall and Yoongi felt the same. They didn't want to hear about his attempts towards his dreams and Yoongi refused to hear their worries for the harsh reality life had. The lack of communication was evident, but you sided with Yoongi in the end.

"Yoongi's really good at making music," You interrupted. Everyone at the table stopped, staring at you like you were an alien. "He's shown me how he does it and I could never do it myself. He really has a talent."

"But it's a hobby." Mr. Yoo crossed his arms. "I don't understand why you can't get a normal job and then do music whenever you get free time."

"Because I want to do music all the time!" Yoongi groaned.

"And that's unrealistic. Yoongi, I don't want you getting hurt if things don't work out." Ms. Min tried reaching towards his hand. Yoongi abruptly stood up from the table, not wanting to be touched.

"You don't even give me a f*cking chance!" Yoongi yelled. You bit your lip, embarrassed that your earlier attempt to save things went to sh*t. Both adults told him to watch his language, but Yoongi wasn't listening to them. Yoongi's burning gaze landed on Mr. Yoo. "You f*cking bought me all kinds of sh*t to produce music and you want to call it a hobby? I lose sleep, skips meals, and don't leave my room for hours just for a _hobby_?"

"Well, now I'm seeing that I've left you spoiled." Mr. Yoo frowned.

"I told you not to buy those things for him. Kids get spoiled any time they get expensive gifts." Ms. Min huffed.

"I'm not spoiled! All I'm asking for is one f*cking chance! Is that so wrong? Because I can tell you this. _School ain't sh*t!_" Yoongi slammed his hands on the table. Ms. Min couldn't stand her son's little outburst. She stood up and left the room while Mr. Yoo remained glued to his seat. "You keep going on about how school is great and helpful, but it isn't! All it is, is forcing people to think one way! People should love to learn, but all it does it hurt any intention of wanting to do so! School isn't everything when it literally causes so many f*cking problems!"

"Min Yoongi—"

"Depression! Anxiety! There's bullying! Unrealistic standards!" Yoongi continued to fire back. "I'm not gonna f*cking have my worth be defined by a letter! Just because I'm not good at one subject or can't learn with a certain teacher, that doesn't mean I'm a dumb@ss! All I am is human!"

"Yoongi..." You wanted to reach out to him. You were a bit afraid that he would give you the same reaction that he gave his mom. Instead, Yoongi turned to you and grabbed your wrist without thinking. Mr. Yoo called after him but let Yoongi storm off and take you out of the house.

Yoongi's grip around your wrist was restricting. It felt like he was cutting off any blood from flowing into your hand. It was too tight. You called after him, hoping he would listen. Yoongi was lost in his rage and storm of emotions. He was tearing at everything in his path. Angrily tugging at his collar and ripping one button off. You had no idea where he was taking you, the tiger growling and marching you away from his home without saying anything. His eyes were left furious and filled with fire. A gaze you would never want aimed at you.

Tapping at his hand, you wanted to be let go of already. He wasn't listening to your words or any of your physical attempts to get his attention. His grip was beginning to hurt you. Where was he taking you to anyway? Questions were popping up in your head, but not out of curiosity. Yoongi's anger was scaring you. It left an anxious pit at the bottom of your stomach. There was also a tad bit of guilt for feeling scared of your friend. He would never cause you any harm on purpose, but you did want to be set free. He was walking too fast and your shoes weren't properly put on.

"Yoongi, please stop!" You shouted, only to get ignored. You tugged your hand away from his grip and he tightened it in response. The second he did that, you yelped in pain. That got Yoongi to finally let go of you. He turned to you with worried eyes, his anger fizzling out as you rubbed your wrist. A stinging red mark was on it and you knew a bruise would form. "It hurts..."

"(F-F/n), I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to—" Yoongi wanted to hug you but feared he would cause you more harm. His hands were carefully hovering above your body. He wanted to embrace you and didn't in case it would make things worse.

"It's fine. I'm not mad...I know I sounded like it, but I'm not." You continued to rub your wrist. With a gentle sigh, you looked him in the eyes. "Are you okay, Yoongi? You snapped at them really badly...your mom looked so upset."

"I'm most likely going to be grounded," Yoongi admitted. He kicked the ground, scuffing his dress shoes on the broken cement of the sidewalk. "What else is new? Maybe the fact that Myunghan won't get me out of this one this time."

"Yoongi." You were serious. He stopped scoffing to look at your saddened eyes. Somehow your emotions could always put his reckless ones to an end. Yoongi was like stone as he saw your tears building up. You didn't mean to cry, but something in you couldn't handle it anymore. Yoongi wrapped his arms around you right away, holding you close and letting you have his shoulder to cry on. "I-I'm worried for you. I don't want your t-temper to ruin any of your chances."

"...I promise you I'll do better, (F/n). I know I f*cked up in the past like this with Namjoon." Yoongi gripped the back of your dress. "I don't get why I can't learn my lesson..."

"You're important to the group, Yoongi." You sniffled, reeling back most of the tears. You didn't want to sob in the middle of the streets so you did your best to stuff your feelings. "You write some of the most moving lyrics. Earlier you said that Hoseok is the reason you're positive, but you've always been positive. Your lyrics give advice to keep going forward, but they aren't just words. They come from a real place and you state your own experiences. It's real. Yoongi, you have the power to change and inspire. I know you do...please be careful from now on, okay?"

Yoongi stared at you silently. He took in your words in disbelief. It wasn't something he would ever expect to hear from someone. Eventually, Yoongi placed his hand on the back of your head. He pressed your face in the crook of his neck as he held you tightly. His hold kept you still and you didn't understand why, but you let him. His embrace letting you know that he was going to make sure he didn't destroy any of his chances anymore. He was going to grow from this and you knew he was going to keep his promise. It was for his dream after all.

"I will..." Yoongi finally whispered minutes after. His cheek wet from the only one he accidentally let slip. He would wait until it dried and made sure you weren't able to see his face. He held you this way, hoping you knew his efforts would also be for you.


	38. Battle

Ch.38

Hoseok made sure Jimin and Jungkook found seats first. He didn't want the boys standing for the entire bus ride. There were only three seats open which Hoseok let you take. He wanted you seated with the two boys while he remained standing in front of the three of you. He admitted that he wanted to have all of you in his sight. None of you were getting lost on his watch. You smiled to yourself, enjoying how much care he had for the baby chick and bunny. You appreciated that he wanted to keep you safe as well, but you knew you could take care of yourself. A lot better than Jungkook and Jimin at least. Hoseok's just always on edge because of the news.

The four of you went on the bus today to go to the club Poppin' to dance. Hoseok was bringing his best dancers to go up against your rivals. Sangchan was bringing his best dancers from D-Crunch. Hoseok wasn't nervous but the both of you could tell that Jungkook and Jimin were. The news that they had to battle left them shocked. They were told last minute and Hoseok practically kidnapped Jungkook from Seokjin. The teacher threatened to fail Hoseok, but Namjoon told him that Jungkook would be back soon. It actually left you surprised that Namjoon bothered to defend Hoseok after what happened back at Midnight Measure.

Namjoon refused to show up to support the dancers because Hoseok didn't originally think to bring Taehyung. Hoseok didn't mean to, but he hurt Namjoon's feelings. Taehyung on the other hand wasn't too bothered. Hoseok asked if he wanted to come but Taehyung wanted to practice on his vocals first. Something about mastering his new manly voice. At that point, Namjoon wanted Taehyung out of the house. Either way, the four of you were the only ones on the bus. Yoongi probably would have come, but he couldn't. He's been grounded since the dinner that only occurred two days ago. He hasn't been able to go anywhere besides school, his home, and tutoring which is really BTS practice. He says it's not too bad besides the fact that they took his producing equipment. He's been borrowing a lot from Namjoon when he shows up to the president's house.

"How long until we get there?" Jungkook swung his legs back and forth. He looked around him, watching buildings pass through the window. Streetlights were beginning to turn on as the sun continued to set.

"Really soon!" Jimin grinned.

"Hey, I was asking Hoseok hyung!" Jungkook pouted before turning to you. "It's no fair. How come Jimin-a got to come first?"

"It's because that little punk followed us," You explained, giving a playful glare to the pink haired boy. The baby chick flushed but kept a smile on his face. Jungkook laughed as Hoseok dug one hand in his back pocket. He pulled out his phone, staring at the screen in surprise.

"Yoongi?" Hoseok answered. "I thought you were grounded and couldn't use your phone."

"Eomma figured I would need it. She's soft." Yoongi's voice was heard. Hoseok kept the phone held out in front of him. Was he having a video chat with him? You tilted your head while Jungkook leaned forward in his seat. The little bunny wanted to see his hyung, his ears perking up at the sound of the grumpy tiger. Hoseok shook his head, chuckling at his friend. He ignored the bunny that was starting to pester him. Jungkook wanted to sit up from his seat and was tugging at Hoseok's sleeve. The boy kept saying he wanted to see his hyung. Hoseok kept the screen facing himself though, easily annoying the bunny.

"Hyung-nim!" Jungkook called out.

"Is my precious dongsaeng there?" Yoongi laughed.

"Yeah, but he's busy." Hoseok grinned.

"No, I'm not!" Jungkook shouted. This time he tried stealing Hoseok's phone which wasn't a good idea. During the fumble to have the phone, they almost dropped it on the ground. Jimin sighed and mumbled 'kids' under his breath. Well, he's certainly one to talk. Hoseok eventually got a perfect grip on his phone but showed his screen to the three of you that were seated. "Hyung-nim!"

"I really had to witness that fight, huh?" Yoongi raised a brow.

"Er, sorry about that. I just really wanted to see you." Jungkook smiled bashfully.

"Well, I might as well tell all of you to do your best. Fighting!" Yoongi gave a tight smile as he held up one fist.

"Thanks, Hyung! We were planning on doing so anyway!" Jimin giggled. Yoongi instantly rolled his eyes at that response. He was doing his best to be a supportive hyung. Jungkook tried kicking Jimin, but that didn't really work out. Especially with you sitting in between them and Hoseok standing in front of you. Hoseok frowned, scolding the boys not to fight. In the middle of his lecture is when Hoseok's phone was getting a second video call request. It was coming from Namjoon. You instantly answered, making the video chat a three-way call. Yoongi's face on the screen moved to the left as Namjoon appeared on the right.

"Who invited you?" Yoongi scoffed, raising a brow.

"Who lets you burrow their equipment?" Namjoon retorted.

"You know I care about you, Joonie?" Yoongi dramatically clutched his chest.

"Alright, I came here to talk with Hoseok. I guess it's good that you're here too, Yoongi. You too, (F/n)!" Namjoon held his phone up, walking to a place with better lighting. The second he sat down in a seat by a window is when his little brother rushed to his side. Taehyung waved at the screen excitedly. He wasn't saying anything but was glad to see everyone. Jungkook and Jimin happily waved back at their friend. Hoseok adjusted himself, making sure the phone was able to get him and the three of you.

"I'm here. What's up, Joon?" Hoseok grinned.

"I got an email saying BTS's first tech rehearsal is this Tuesday," Namjoon stated. Eyes widened, the contest feeling realer as time passed. "They want us there at five in the morning. We have to be there for as long as they need us for our performance."

"Five in the morning!?" Yoongi shouted, almost breaking Hoseok's phone speakers.

"Tuesday is a school day though..." Jimin mumbled.

"We get to skip!" Taehyung shouted, bouncing behind his hyung. The blue hair kept dancing and let everyone know how thrilled he was to skip school.

"That's great, but uh...my samchon is a teacher." Jungkook pointed out.

"He can call sick, I guess. We're his students and we're gonna be doing the same anyway." Hoseok shrugged. He brought his hand up to his chin, rubbing it in thought. "We'll be dancing that early?"

"They'll have other groups practicing. We mainly have to arrive early for all the technical crew and stuff like that," Namjoon said. "I just wanted to give you guys a heads up. We'll talk more about it later."

"Good luck with dancing! Crush our rivals!" Taehyung threw his fists repeatedly in the air. Jimin and Jungkook thanked him before doing the same. The little zoo was having trouble containing their excitement. Namjoon laughed with Hoseok and Yoongi, happy to see the two kids so happy.

"You'll do well, Kookie." Namjoon encouraged the boy before looking at the other. "Jiminie, don't let your ego get to you."

"Or your insecurities!" Yoongi added.

"...Why can't you just say 'fighting'?" Jimin crossed his arms with a pout.

"He appreciates the advice." You hugged the baby chick.

Jimin squealed in your arms, moving around in his seat. Though he acted like he wanted to get away, Jimin eventually settled in your arms in complete delight. Hoseok turned the phone to him, talking to the guys for a while longer. You looked out the window with the kids. For some reason looking out the window was your favorite part of taking the bus. By the time the bus was nearing the old club, Hoseok said his goodbyes to Namjoon and Yoongi. He was so happy talking to them which managed to warm your heart. He has good friends now. Even though you never thought he could get so close to the class president and delinquent. Despite their original differences, those three could talk for hours with each other.

Grabbing Jimin and Jungkook's hand, you stood up on the bus with them. Hoseok put his phone away as he walked towards the exit of the bus. You ignored all of Jungkook's little whines. He kept saying things about how he's old enough to take care of himself. He doesn't need his hand to be held. You glanced out the window again to see it getting even darker in the rough side of town. Nope. Squeezing Jungkook's hand even tighter, you were going to make sure this boy stayed in one piece like Jimin. You wanted to pass math class after all.

Jimin couldn't understand why Jungkook didn't want to hold hands with you. Unlike the bunny, the baby chick could be very affectionate. The second you got off the bus, Hoseok took Jimin's hand from you. The two led the way to the old abandoned club. Jungkook stared at the big letters that read 'Poppin' on the front of the building. Behind it though is where all the dancing happens. The maknae was growing excited as the four of you walked around the building to the open space where a crowd of dancers were huddled in. Already people were stretching or doing silly dances in front of friends. Up on the roofs, the lights were getting set up as the moon continues to rise over the dancers.

This was something you only experienced a handful of times. You've been to Midnight Measure a lot more and sometimes the dancing culture still surprises you. Jungkook was letting it all sink in. It was the first time he got to be here. He's only dealt with Midnight Measure before, but you could tell he was liking this a lot too. Jimin was already stretching, easily touching the floor and looking like he bent himself in half. Jungkook saw that and immediately began to start stretching himself so he would do well during the battle with their rivals. Speaking of rivals, you haven't seen them yet. It made you wonder who were the strongest dancers of D-Crunch that Sangchan was going to bring. Hoseok was scanning the crowd of people, clearly fixated on finding them.

"Aren't you going to stretch too?" You questioned, stepping closer to him.

"Me? I already stretched." Hoseok shrugged.

"Oh really? Can you do what Jimin is doing already?" You pointed at the flexible boy.

"Uh..." Hoseok looked at his dongsaeng. He didn't want to show it, but Hoseok was really bad at controlling his facial expressions. You could read it enough to see that he wasn't capable of doing that even if he stretched. "Jimin is a different dancer from me. I'm mainly hip-hop. Y'know, like popping, crumping—"

"Sounds like excuses." You hummed, teasing him to see him stiffen up.

"I could touch my toes if I wanted to!" Hoseok huffed, crossing his arms in a fit. His cheeks became puffed up as well which was adorable. "Jimin is learning how to properly dance hip-hop here. Hip-hop classes don't really give this style justice."

"And what does that have to do with flexibility and stretching?" You raised an eyebrow at him. Hoseok's face turned pink, frustrated with your teasing. He only rolled his eyes and ruffled your hair. How dare he? You squirmed away from him and made sure he stopped tangling your hair. Hoseok was finally laughing at you. Fine, he got his dumb revenge. You gave him a smile as you took out your purple hair tie to fix the mess he caused. While you were fixing your hair, Hoseok felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around, almost forgetting the reason he came here in the first place. Jimin and Jungkook stopped stretching once they saw who had approached their hyung.

Hoseok clicked his tongue to finally see that their rivals had shown up. Sangchan was smirking, pleased that Hoseok didn't look too happy to see them. Jimin and Jungkook ran to their hyung's side. They wanted to have his back. They weren't going to let their rivals intimidate him. Behind Sangchan were Chanyoung and Hyunoh. Those two were doing their best to make the three dancers feel threatened. So these guys are the best dancers in the group? Jimin and Hoseok crossed their arms to let them know that they weren't going to be scared from a dirty look. Jungkook was looking around for some reason. Almost as if he thought there would be others.

"I brought my main dancers." Sangchan motioned to the two. "I told them we had a little chore to take care of."

"A chore?" Hoseok scoffed. "That's funny."

"We're just planning on beating all of you and heading home." Jimin smirked. "It'll take five seconds."

"I think you're talking way too big," Hyunoh said. "Be careful with getting ahead of yourself."

"Well, you guys wouldn't consider us rivals if you weren't threatened by us," Jimin retorted back. "Aren't I right?"

"Everyone in the competition is our rival." Chanyoung frowned, not liking the sass coming from the pink hair.

"Yet you give BTS special attention." Jimin put his hands on his hips.

"I really hope you don't end up crying when we actually put your words to the test." Sangchan eyed the younger boy. Jimin finally bit his lip, holding back from saying anything else. Hoseok even raised his hand for the boy not to make any more remarks. Action speaks louder than words. A part of you felt nervous. The rappers got a tie last time. What if their dance rivals won this time? You didn't want Jimin to be crushed and have his words make him feel worse. Jimin remembered Namjoon's advice about not letting his ego take over and held back.

"Where's Yeonjae?" Jungkook asked, finally making his presence known.

"Dylan? Uh, not here..." Chanyoung furrowed his brows. "Sorry...he's not a part of the dancers."

"What? That's not fair!" Jungkook stomped his foot. "I wanted to see him."

"Oh, well...um..." Chanyoung rubbed the back of his head.

"So awkward, this kid!" Sangchan roughly smacked the back of his dongsaeng. Chanyoung's eyes widened and he stumbled forward with a grunt. It looked as if Sangchan managed to knock the air out of Chanyoung's lungs. The young boy blushed and mumbled that Sangchan was just being mean. "Oh no, he's getting emotional."

"You know his feelings get hurt easily." Hyunoh sighed.

"I-I'm not emotional!" Chanyoung shouted. He was frustrated and only shook his head, tolerating the cooing the two gave him in hopes of cheering him up. At this point, Chanyoung ignored them and his eyes landed on Jungkook. "I'm battling you!"

"Me?" Jungkook pointed to himself in shock. Slowly, a smirk appeared on the maknae's face. He nodded his head with determination. He was ready for the dance battle and couldn't wait. The MC of the dance circle started announcing that battles would be happening in five minutes once the lights are properly set up. "I'll destroy you!"

"Watch out. I can freestyle to any music genre." Chanyoung smirked, walking towards the dance circle. Jungkook watched the boy walk away with confidence. Though he was acting awkward earlier, Chanyoung was confident in his dance skills. Jungkook found himself poking his tongue at the inside of his cheek. He's only been dancing since meeting Hoseok which has been less than five months. He may be talented, but hard work is also involved in improving. The light haired brunette followed Chanyoung into the circle. The difference with Jungkook's walk compared to his rival was that his was more aggressive. Hopefully Jungkook's competitive nature doesn't get in the way.

Hoseok was now chewing on his bottom lip. He was used to losing from past battles. It was something he had to accept every time he wanted to battle. Because of the constant competitions in underground dance scene, Hoseok has grown to be competitive. Having these rivals were only adding to the fuel. Jimin knew what it felt like. The dance world is already so competitive. It's almost cutthroat at times. He sees the way it has stressed out his dance mates and dances teachers. It's even gotten him to lose his mind. The baby chick balled his hands into fists as his eyes landed on Hyunoh. Though Hyunoh considered himself a fan of Jimin, that didn't stop them from being rivals.

"You're on, Oh-Hyung." Jimin walked past him, heading towards the circle.

"It appears so." Hyunoh grinned, walking with a bounce in his steps.

"So that means..." Sangchan's eyes landed on Hoseok who had been glaring at him for a while now.

"Let's go." Hoseok head to the dance circle. Sangchan smirked and looked over at you. He bowed his head in acknowledgement before making his way to the circle. They're getting better at acting like rivals. You'll give them that.

The people in the circle were hyping each other up. Everyone was doing a basic dance move to warm up, waiting for the MC to start to dance battles. People cheered the second bright lights landed in the center of the circle. Music began playing loudly as the MC shouted for two people to take center to start off the dance battles. Right away, Jungkook and Chanyoung ran to the center before anyone else could take the spot. The MC grinned, pointing at Jungkook to start it off and to flow with the music. You tried getting a better view in the circle. It was a little hard with everyone wanting to get a good look. Luckily, Hoseok's dance crew spotted you. They happily brought you upfront to get a good view.

As Jungkook started, everyone in Hoseok's dance crew dissected Jungkook's freestyle. They could tell he wasn't too much of an experienced dancer. They saw potential in his freestyle but admitted that he looked a bit robotic. He carried no expression in his face while the rest of his body was moving. It was clear that Jungkook was thinking of something cool to do next instead of playing with the music freely. The panic clearly showed when the genre of the song was changed. It went from a rock song to a ballad. Jungkook froze for a solid three seconds. You could hear dancers sympathize with Jungkook's little hiccup. The maknae quickly tried to fix it, but his body awkwardly moved to the slower song.

This wasn't looking good in Jungkook's favor. He was doing better in the beginning. Soon the torch was passed onto Chanyoung who flowed to the ballad. He had more experience than the bunny. Though dancing contemporary wasn't his style, it came to him easier than the maknae who has been mainly doing hip-hop and b-boy moves thanks to his hyung. The song suddenly returned to the rock song and Chanyoung's moves instantly grew sharper. All of his moves were precise, but Hoseok's dance crew did note one major flaw. His neck was stiff as he danced. Everything else moved, but he mainly kept his head facing forward. It occasionally made his dancing look awkward. In the end though...

"That's one down." Chanyoung panted as the crowd hollered around him and Jungkook. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, walking back to his members after winning the battle. Jungkook gritted his teeth and looked teary eyed. He ran straight towards you, hugging you immediately. You were surprised by his action. Staring down at his head, you stroked his hair.

"It's okay, Jungkookie," You told him in a soothing voice.

"I'll beat them. I know I will." Jungkook's grip on your clothes tightened. "I'll work even harder, Noona. I'll win with integrity." He lifted his head to look you in the eyes. The fire in his big doe eyes was powerful. There was no doubt in your mind that Jungkook was going to improve rapidly. You nodded your head as Hyunoh and Jimin took center. Jungkook blinked away any tears that wanted to come out. He wasn't going to let any slip. He didn't want to feel hurt and humiliated from this battle. The competition is going to be rough, so he knew he was going to have to grow tough skin. He's going have to be a little more mature than people his age if he wants to do well. His big black eyes narrowed on Hyunoh who started dancing to the jazzy song.

There was something you quickly noticed with him. His musicality was on point. All his moves worked perfectly with the song as if he knew every beat since birth. Most of movements were body rolls, but he did flow with the music a lot better. His body was completely connected anytime he switched the isolation he was focusing on. There was never a stutter in his body. He easily moved as if he was water and had more experience than Chanyoung. He didn't have the same problem like his dongsaeng and used his entire body. His head moved with everything else and details even came down to his fingers. Hyunoh's energetic and strong personality showed through his moves. According to the dance crew, Hyunoh did some pedestrian movement but he always put his own twist to it. His versatility was showing, but there were moments he would let his footwork get sloppy. Mainly when he let his personality overpower his movements.

Jimin watched the male silently the entire time. He wanted to be respectful during another's performance. Once it was his turn, Jimin went off. He made sure all his movements had texture. They never stayed rough or soft. He gave little flavors and moved naturally with beautiful lines. It must be due to all his experience from dancing in a studio. Hoseok's dance crew gave him credit for having technique and skill. The only thing that made you want to hold Jungkook's hand was when the music changed into a hip-hop song. Jimin did his best to adapt from all the lessons Hoseok had given him. Now Jimin is good at dancing and can do hip-hop well. It's only that his freestyle made Jungkook wince. The dance moves didn't always feel like they connected well and Jimin was stiff at times. His body trained to dance exactly the opposite of what he was doing.

"I think Jimin might cry..." Jungkook frowned as the battle ended. Jimin was panting heavily, his cheeks matching the color of his hair. He was already sweating and Hyunoh was still dancing as the MC gathered votes.

"No." Jimin shook his head the second Hyunoh was announced the winner. Hyunoh raised his hand at the crowd, happily waving at them before turning to face Jimin. "This isn't fair!"

"You did well, Jimin-a. It was really fun getting to battle you!" Hyunoh smiled softly. He walked over to the boy whose fists were trembling. "Don't get too worked up over your loss. I'm sure you'll get more wins in your life. Fighting!" Hyunoh happily turned, rushing to give his members a big hug. His positivity and encouragement only made Jimin feel worse. It bit and nipped at his competitive personality. When it comes to dance, Jimin has been trained to attempt perfection. He lost and he didn't know what to think of it anymore. It wasn't fun like last time he battled on the spot.

Jimin's eyes connected with yours from across the circle. The baby chick ran to you, burying his face into your clothes. He didn't want anyone seeing his face. You could feel his tears sinking into the material of your shirt though. Stroking his hair, you did your best to calm him down. Jungkook awkwardly patted his back while Hoseok's dance crew gave him some compliments in hopes of cheering him up. Jimin stayed clutching onto you, sniffling and only pulling away to see Hoseok meeting Sangchan in the center. The both of them were standing and already exuding such strong stage presences. Sangchan offered to let Hoseok go first, but Hoseok shook his head.

"Scared? Okay then." Sangchan smirked. Hoseok didn't say anything. He kept an expressionless face as he examined Sangchan slowly falling into the groove of the music.

The music playing was still in the hip-hop genre. Sangchan had no problem getting his body to play with the music. His dancing was cleaner than the other two. You did your best to find weak spots in his dancing, but he was doing better than you wanted. Sangchan kept a smug grin on his face as he used his space, gladly making the entire open circle his stage. He didn't let himself be stuck in front of Hoseok and made sure to experiment with levels. Jungkook and Jimin were worried for their hyung. Sangchan finished with a lot of enthusiasm from the crowd.

But none of you should have doubted Hoseok. He had his passion for dance coursing through his veins. The music abruptly switched into dubstep once it was Hoseok's turn. The talent Hoseok held in his body began to show immediately. You couldn't help but smile to see him moving robotically with ease. His animated dance style was getting a lot of cheers from the crowd. Sangchan's little grin was shrinking as Hoseok displayed his own attention to detail. Hoseok was creative with his freestyle and had great musicality. He showed all the positives that D-Crunch's dancers had. Brilliantly timed texture that kept you on your toes when it came to his dancing. Each of Hoseok's movements sharp or smooth, but powerful nonetheless. It was obvious who had won in the end.

"Don't look so glum. Smile~!" Hoseok pointed at his own huge grin. He was panting, light sweat glistening on his forehead. "Sucks that you couldn't beat all of us though."

"We still beat two of you." Sangchan wiped his face.

"But we're still a force to be reckoned with," Hoseok said with a light chuckle. "I know you're trying to scare us, but I know you're threatened."

"You better be careful at the competition! You guys will be like nothing compared to us!" Sangchan huffed as his two members stood behind him. They placed their hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him down. Sangchan didn't sound angry though. He wasn't threatening in the least. You could hear the fear in his voice and you almost felt bad. They're talented and work hard too. Sighing, you watched Jimin and Jungkook motion for Hoseok to walk away with them.

"If you don't mind, we'll be leaving for the night. We practice nonstop." Hoseok took a step back, his grin still beaming brightly. "We'll show you how nothing is always something."

"Y-You got that from our song!" Sangchan barked.

"Hey leader, it's time to cool it." Hyunoh nervously pulled him back.

"I'm hungry, Hyung," Chanyoung muttered.

"You always are!!" Sangchan kicked the ground.

The three were slowly beginning to bicker. Hyunoh was doing his best to keep the peace while Chanyoung was getting jumpy and frightened. Hoseok wanted to contain his laughter as he overheard Sangchan's rant about how they'll defeat BTS. Hoseok looked at them over his shoulder with a gentle smile and warm eyes. The competitive look in his eyes finally gone. 'They're passionate. I'll give them that' was all Hoseok said before walking away. You grabbed Jungkook and Jimin's hands, making them keep up with you. The three of you needed to follow Hoseok back to the bus stop. Jimin had stopped crying but his eyes were red and he sniffled on the occasion. Jungkook was fuming, but it was dying down after he saw the interaction between his hyung and Sangchan.

"Hoseok hyung...you're the only one who won." Jungkook looked up at him. "You were really cool while you were dancing."

"Thanks, Kookie. I try." Hoseok winked.

"A-Are you really not bothered by how strong the rest of our competition might be?" Jimin wiped at his eye again.

"Come here my Jiminie." Hoseok held his arms out. Jimin wasted no time in hugging his favorite hyung. He respected Hoseok a lot for many reasons, but it all started with dance. Hoseok knew he could teach Jimin for when it comes to competing. "Trust me, it's scary. Especially when you know that a lot of these people worked so hard themselves and deserve a chance in the spotlight too, but...everyone will have their time to shine. I have a feeling our time will be very soon with this contest."

"You think so?" Jimin stared at him in awe. Jungkook looked just as moved, admiring Hoseok even more.

"Definitely. Aren't I right, Manager-nim?" Hoseok smirked as he glanced at you. At first, you didn't say anything until you remembered.

"O-Oh right! That's me!" You giggled out of pure embarrassment. "Yes! Hoseok's certainly right! Every time I watch you guys practice, I feel it in my gut and you can't go wrong with gut feelings. You boys really have nothing to worry about. Just keep practicing hard and put your passion not only into words, but actions."

"Thanks, Noona." Jungkook smiled. "I promise I'll be focused on making the perfect first stage for BTS!!"

"Me too! I will do my best as a member!" Jimin shot his hand up, wanting you to know that he wasn't going to let anyone down. Hoseok and you shared a joyful expression. It's good that they're no longer angry or glum over their losses. They're growing perfectly fine from this with the help of their hyung.

"For now, let's have BTS's first tech in mind." You reminded to see all of them nod with stars in their eyes.

"We won't let you down!!"

(Left to Right: Hyunoh, Chanyoung, Sangchan [O.V.])


	39. Tech

Ch.39

Hoseok and you dropped off Jimin at the convenience store. It was late by the time you guys returned so he had to get home first. Jungkook was still in your guy's care. The bunny had to be dropped off at Namjoon's house. Seokjin would be waiting for him there. The three of you walked the rest of the way to Namjoon's house. You were feeling tired and Hoseok was ready to call it a night. Jungkook was the only one who thought it was too early to go to bed. He wanted to stay up practicing. The encouragement he received from you and Hoseok had him filled with energy. Jungkook wants to practice his dancing as soon as he can.

"Maybe you should rest for tonight." Hoseok suggested.

"No way! I have to get working on it now!" Jungkook shook his head persistently.

It didn't look like there was any changing his mind. You pet the brunette's hair, smiling at how adorable the baby bunny was. It's going to be really sad once he grows taller than you. There were already signs of them growing older which made your heart ache like a mother's. As they slowly grow taller, it makes you feel like you've helped raise them. They've had all these greats hyungs and noona around to help lead the way. Jungkook continued making his way to Namjoon's house like a dog tugging on its leash. Hoseok didn't want Jungkook running too far from him at night. But of course, the bunny insisted that he was fine.

The hyperness of the child almost overwhelmed Hoseok and that was saying a lot. He's the only hyung who can actually keep up with the zoo. The little bunny dragged the two of you all the way to Namjoon's house. In the driveway was Seokjin's car. It made you wonder how long he's been waiting to finally pick up Jungkook. At least Jungkook is all in one piece like Seokjin wanted. Now he can't kill Hoseok like he threatened to before you guys had left. What a strange teacher he is. Just thinking about it made you laugh. Seokjin has gotten so comfortable around you guys and treats you all like his friends. The age gap is almost forgotten when he's around now.

Jungkook opened the front door and you were surprised it was left unlocked. They must have had a feeling you guys were coming soon then. The bunny ran in with high energy and suddenly paused. Hoseok tilted his head at that, stepping inside only to do the same. What were they looking at? You made your way inside and closed the door. The second you stood next to Hoseok and Jungkook, you witnessed Taehyung wrestling with Seokjin. What...were those two doing? Seokjin was lying flat on his stomach while the puppy sat on his back. They completely ignored the three set of eyes watching them. Taehyung was grabbing Seokjin's leg and pulling it back, laughing at the teacher's screams.

"Let me go! I will take you down!" Seokjin gritted his teeth.

"You wish!" Taehyung grinned.

"_What_ are you doing to my Samchon!?" Jungkook growled. Seokjin finally raised his head to face his nephew and two students witnessing this strange scene. He stared, an orange blaze going across his face. He didn't want to be caught like this meanwhile Taehyung was beaming with pride.

"I'm beating him up!" Taehyung snickered. "He's too old to fight back and win."

"That's it!" Seokjin started to push himself up from the ground. Taehyung's eyes widened, shocked that he pushed the purple hair too far. Now he would be receiving his punishment. The puppy yelped as he tried to escape the adult who was normally quiet and meek like a mouse. Seokjin had turned around to grab the running child but missed. The puppy was quickly snatched and pulled into someone's arms. He struggled at first until he realized he was safe in the wings of his big brother. Namjoon sighed, judging the two for going crazy the second he left the room. Jungkook ran to his uncle, helping the man get up and dusting him off. "Sorry you had to see that."

"I should have recorded that." Hoseok whined.

"What?!" Seokjin quickly glared at him. "No! Why would you want that!?"

"Yoongi would have found it funny." Hoseok shrugged.

"Oh, he would have loved it," You replied to see Hoseok's excited nod. Seokjin wasn't agreeing though. He frowned and collected his nephew, pulling Jungkook close to him before looking over at the two brothers again.

"Next time then." Taehyung gave the eldest a thumb's up.

"Like hell there will be a next time." Namjoon squeezed the boy who whined softly to be set free. "Why would you do that to my teacher? You realize he could fail me?"

"Well then take this as a warning, Seokjin hyung!" Taehyung kicked his legs. "Fail Namjoon and then you'll have to deal with me!"

"I just wanted to patiently wait for my joka when _you_ started kicking at my feet and threatening to take my visual position! As if!" Seokjin pointed an accusing finger at Taehyung who was grinning smugly. Is that how this all started? Namjoon furrowed his brows while Taehyung thought it was all so funny.

"Puberty gave me this deep voice and soon it will give me more. You better watch out." Taehyung smirked.

"If I catch you laying a hand on my samchon, just you wait!" Jungkook protectively hugged his uncle. It took Seokjin by surprise, but he loved it. He automatically found it adorable and had to pinch the bunny's chubby cheeks. Taehyung ended up laughing and admitted that he only wanted to play with Seokjin. He didn't mean any of the harm he already caused to the teacher. Namjoon sighed heavily, telling the puppy not to randomly attack people for fun. Not even if it ends well like this.

It was then time to go. Seokjin started tugging Jungkook out of the house. Namjoon and Taehyung stood outside waving as the rest of you walked outside. Jungkook pouted, mumbling that he wanted to practice dancing again. He opened the car door and sat inside with his head resting against the window. He was finally getting tired himself. You could tell by how hard he was trying to fight back his yawn. Seokjin thanked you for keeping Jungkook safe and you gladly told him it was no problem. Hoseok did give his teacher a dirty look though. He wanted Seokjin to know that he helped too. Seokjin ignored the boy's glare and made his way towards the driver's door.

"Wait, Seokjin hyung! I wanted to tell you before I forget!" Namjoon shot his hand up to catch his teacher's attention. Right when Seokjin opened the door, he paused to stare at the class president. "Our tech rehearsal as BTS for the concert is this Tuesday from five in the morning until they tell us we're free to go."

"Excuse me, what!?" Seokjin's eyes grew twice their size. His voice raised surprisingly high where Jungkook jumped in his seat. He watched his uncle march his way towards the three of you in complete outrage. "On a Tuesday!? That's a school day! A majority of the competitors should be in school and I'm a teacher! There is no way I am skipping school just for a competition!!"

*~*

"I called in sick and I hate myself," Seokjin whined for the millionth time. You stopped keeping count since he's been doing it nonstop. All of you arrived at Namjoon's house early to get a ride from the eldest member. He showed up in a grumpy attitude while Jungkook was a lot brighter.

Days quickly passed and it was the day of the tech rehearsal. You had to lie to your mom about bad period cramps. She knew skipping a school day was never on your agenda. Not when you went to a tough academy like Sehwang. You asking this favor was saying a lot so, she let you stay. It was almost alarming when your Dad offered to stay home to watch you. He would easily find out you're not actually on it at the moment. Thankfully, Mom told him off by saying he knows nothing when it comes to periods and its best to let you handle it on your own. Dad pouted but agreed in the end. You thanked Mom and she only smirked. Again, it sometimes felt like she knew everything you were doing.

Getting the chance to skip school was a lot easier than you thought it would be. Seokjin only had to call in sick from work and get a substitute. Then he handled getting Jungkook to skip school as well. Hoseok didn't like that he had to make an excuse to the school by using his mom as an emergency. It was the only way without letting his mom know. Namjoon called Taehyung sick and pretended to be his dad when he called Sehwang. Yoongi and Jimin had it the hardest in finding a way to not go to school. If Jimin pretends to be sick, his parents are with him and in the convenience store all day. They won't let him leave and the same goes for Yoongi. His mom stays at home and will take care of him. Not to mention, he's grounded.

The two boys did what they could and that was to get marked absent. Jimin's parents would be getting a call for his lack of appearance. It made the baby chick nervous, but he wanted to give this contest his all. Yoongi didn't care too much of what Mr. Yoo would have to say about him skipping. He knew Mr. Yoo wouldn't let Ms. Min find out about it. The only thing making you nervous was if Mr. Yoo noticed that Yoongi wasn't the only one missing. Yoongi and all his friends are gone from school including his favorite teacher who he seems to be on friendly terms with. It might come off as a little strange if he looks into it.

You didn't want to focus on the consequences too much right now. Those will come to bite you later in the end anyway. Might as well do your best in the present when everything is okay. Namjoon signed the group in and spoke with someone in the technical crew. All eight of you would be waiting in a certain section as everything got set up. It was an outside stage that was already built for this occasion. All seven boys were seated where an audience would be in a couple weeks. You were thrilled thinking about it as you passed out a sheet of paper to each of them. They stared at it curiously while Seokjin continued to mope.

"I don't even have tenure." Seokjin pouted.

"I will kick you in the f*cking balls if you keep crying." Yoongi sighed, staring at the paper. Seokjin instinctively protected his crotch area. He knew Yoongi wasn't messing around when he said that. Yoongi had been losing his patience with this hyung since the early morning. It's improvement in your opinion. You didn't think Yoongi would go this long without threatening Seokjin. "What are these?"

"I have pins too. You're supposed to pin it on your chests." You held up the pins. The little zoo quickly took some from your hands. They wanted to see what they looked like. Taehyung giggled, seeing a bold 'V' on his chest. Jungkook and Jimin soon had their names labeled on them. The other members slowly began to do the same. Soon you read Jin, J-Hope, RM, and Suga on the others. Perfect. It was hard to tone down your smile. You're just so proud that they passed the auditions and will get the chance to perform on the big stage in front of so many people. Even if they only get to do it once. "I hope you all wear your names with pride. People will be learning all your names very soon."

"Thank you, (F/n)." Namjoon smiled as he did his best to fix his crooked name tag. Soon his smile turned into a frustrated expression. The pin in his hand was starting to bend against his wishes, only making his job harder. Namjoon swore under his breath and jumped when he accidentally pricked his own finger. Taehyung was stifling back his laughter at his brother's typical behavior while you only shook your head.

"I guess this is where my job as manager comes in, huh?" You grabbed a new pin. One that wasn't close to breaking. Namjoon blushed as you stepped close to him, taking the old pin out of his hand. He quietly watched you adjust his name tag. Once it was all pinned to his purple sweatshirt, you patted his chest. "All done."

"...t-thank you again." The blonde ran a hand through his hair. "I can't even pin my own name tag. Ah, that's a bit embarrassing."

"We're used to it," Taehyung replied. Namjoon quickly motioned his elbow towards the boy's face. He didn't appreciate that comment coming out of him so easily. Taehyung almost fell back trying to protect himself. Despite getting threatened, Taehyung kept a grin on his face. Namjoon returned his focus to you with a shy smile.

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine. It's what I'm here for." You slowly raised your hand to fix his hair. He sort of messed it up when he ran his hand through it. The president stood still with a pink face until you finished. Namjoon was about to thank you again before Hoseok pushed him to the side.

"What about me? How's my hair, (F/n)?" Hoseok bent in front of you. It was weird. You could have sworn this idiot's hair was fine a second ago.

"Don't mess it up on purpose, will you?" You grumbled as you fixed it. Hoseok only hummed, ignoring the glare he was getting from Namjoon. Yoongi was rolling his eyes and leaning back in his seat.

"Noona, is my hair good?" Jimin asked.

"And mine?" Jungkook grinned.

"Mine's perfect!" Taehyung proudly stated.

"Are you sure about that?" Seokjin teased. The blue hair turned around with a sharp stare.

"I WILL fight you!"

"Do it!" Yoongi cheered.

"Don't!" Namjoon shouted.

"Hold on, let me get my phone out this time!" Hoseok patted himself, searching for something to record a fight. You shook your head at their nonsense. They better not start a fight with cameras around and plenty of other groups seated amongst you guys. You touched up Jimin's hair and lightly combed Jungkook's.

"If I catch any of you fighting, you will get kicked by yours truly. This goes for you too, Seokjin oppa." You put the comb away. Only the older boys bothered to gulp in slight fear. The young ones quickly promised not to cause any problems. Good. Their hyungs should learn a thing or two from them. Though Taehyung does get a bit reckless at times.

Either way, you did adore these boys. Even with how crazy they could all get. That's when someone in charge of organizing the competition went on the stage with a microphone and clipboard. They read aloud that the groups would be going in order by alphabet. Once the crew says you're done, you're allowed to leave for the day. They admitted that doing all the technical aspects will take a long a time. Every group would be set up with an intern who will write down ideas each group has for their stage. You glanced at the members who were biting their lips and swallowing hard. This contest really does put a lot of emphasis on creating your own things. Some of the boys believed they could have gotten a stage director to do it for them.

It's okay. You assured the boys that everything was going to be okay for their first stage. They knew their parts, had the lyrics down, and had the choreography perfect. Choosing the lights and stage effects won't be too hard. The song was called 'Boy In Luv' and you've seen them perform it so many times. You immediately pulled out a pen and paper. There you started to write down the colors the song made you think of. The vibe the entire performance carried and what the boys were going for. All of them agreed on wearing school uniforms. Seokjin was the only one not too thrilled about the schoolboy concept since he was secretly in his mid-twenties, but no one has to know that fact.

By the time an intern arrived in front of BTS, you introduced yourself as their manager. You already had a list of ideas that you hoped they would help you bring to life. The intern stared at what you had written and nodded their head. It was a good outline and start for getting the stage ready. The technical side of a performance always helped pull things together. The intern quickly spoke in their walkie talkie, asking some of the lighting assistants on how many red gels they had. She also asked if specials or spotlights would be better for solo parts. You didn't quite understand, but you appreciated the help. The boys were relaxing and grateful that you took care of the background stuff. All you wanted for them to worry about was their performance at most.

Things were going smoothly. The boys decided to practice their dance on the side as other groups went on stage. Their dancing was tight, but Hoseok emphasized that they would be spreading out more on stage. They would be able to use their space more there. You were proud as you watched them practice hard up until they were called to go up on stage. They were first told to go through once and then they would start talking about the stage later. Hoseok spread everyone out in the pyramid formation they had in the beginning of the dance. You cheered 'fighting' as Namjoon told the boys to rehearse it as usual. Don't overthink it.

The track for Boy In Luv started to play. They instantly started to turn around with smirks on their faces. It was interesting to see the young bunny taking center and starting the song. You couldn't help your squeals as they danced perfectly. It was in their muscle memory. To be fair, you almost felt your heart stop when Jungkook moved and Namjoon took center. He winked as he rapped his lyrics, reminding you that he almost turned into a whole different person when he's on stage. You found yourself blushing at how confident he was before Hoseok practically came out of nowhere. He jumped high over Namjoon, rapping right away.

It was so strange. You've seen their rehearsals, but something about seeing them on stage was giving you butterflies. Hoseok's personality shined through during his clever rap. His stage presence was amazing. You couldn't look away and you found yourself bouncing on your toes like a fangirl. It then switched to Taehyung being in the center. Though he's normally a goofball, you really enjoyed how well he could portray emotions. The facial expressions he made really set the mood. He's still adorable to you no matter what. Jungkook started singing again and you were anticipating a certain point in the song. You bit your lip, waiting for it the entire time the three youngest sang.

That's when Yoongi stepped far from the rest of the other members. You were completely entranced during his part. It was hard to remain still as he rapped while the rest danced perfectly in synch behind him. They're so good. Your heart was beating wildly in your chest, lost in the adrenaline of their performance skills and excitement for them. Yoongi and Hoseok then did the car part of the choreography which is honestly one of your favorite parts. Namjoon came in after and you were beaming with pride at this point. They've truly worked so hard for this.

"I want to scream for them so bad..." You whined to yourself as Seokjin took center. It was getting to your other favorite part. To be fair, you had a lot of favorite parts. Seokjin sang in center as Jungkook and Jimin began to sing at the side. You held your breath as they reached their high notes. Jungkook and Jimin quickly smirked at each other before they went back into a pyramid position to finish this song in a bang. You knew they were nervous about their voice cracking or if their harmonizing sounded awful. But no. They were hitting every point spot on for rookies.

You silently clapped by the end when all the members turned around like the beginning of the dance. This was a great performance. Maybe you're biased, but you absolutely adored it. That gut feeling was telling you that the crowd would be mesmerized too. There's also the fact that Boy In Luv is a catchy song so you have no doubt that it will gather a good following. Just enough votes to get into the second round. They had to. Running towards the stage, you saw all the members turn around with smiles. All of them panting but cheering at their teamwork. Namjoon spotted you and soon Hoseok and Yoongi walked with him.

"Did you like it, (F/n)?" Hoseok clasped his hands together.

"How'd we look on the big stage?" Yoongi laughed.

"Do you think our stage needs anything special?" Namjoon asked.

"I love it all so much! You guys are like real idols even without the lights and fog!" You bounced and suddenly paused. "But—"

"But?" All three of them leaned closer with frowns on their faces.

"Besides adding red lighting, your performance could use something else." You crossed your arms with a smirk. "Fire!"

"She's crazy." Yoongi almost fell to his knees.

"F-Fire?" Hoseok blinked as he looked at Namjoon.

"Uh...well, it's worth a try I guess." Namjoon awkwardly shrugged.

These punks. You're not wrong when you think fire will add to their performance. They're already setting the stage on fire with their performance, but you wanted it in a more literal sense. You went on your way to find the intern and asked if it was possible. Like it was meant to be, they had fire machines that they could set up. Perfect. Soon the boys had to practice their dance, stop and start. They would dance for a couple seconds and be told to hold. The lighting team had to learn the cues and work with helping their stage come to life. The fire was added and the zoo thought it was the coolest thing in the world. The boys ran their song one more time without any pauses and that was it. They were set free at three in the afternoon.

The boys were surprised they got out so early. You thought they would have made you guys stay until six in the evening. Well, you weren't really complaining! All of the boys were hugging and giving high fives to one another. To be honest, you expected to see D-Crunch here. They must have another date which somewhat disappointed you. A large part of you wanted to see what they were preparing to show to everyone. Their mouths are going to drop once they see BTS together on stage. You just know that will be the reaction for many. You hugged each member as you guys left the lot.

"So what do we do now?" You asked.

"Celebrate!!" Hoseok threw his fist in the air.

"I don't want to go home yet!" Yoongi lazily put his fists in the air.

"Me too..." Jimin nervously rubbed his arm.

"The things we're doing for this competition." Seokjin sighed.

"Just lie to your parents and say your homeroom teacher accidentally marked you absent," Jungkook suggested. Jimin's eyes lit up and he was all smiles again. He immediately thanked the maknae for coming up with a solution. He was so terrified of the idea of getting grounded. Seokjin looked displeased by Jungkook knowing a trick to get out of trouble. The bunny glanced at his uncle with a smug grin. "What?"

"Nothing! Where are we celebrating?" Seokjin pouted.

"Let's have street food!" Taehyung clapped his hands.

"No, I want Korean BBQ." Namjoon crossed his arms. Taehyung stomped his feet until his stomach rumbled loudly for everyone to hear.

"BBQ it is then?" You teased, seeing the puppy's face get hot. Taehyung nodded his head with a shy expression as all his hyungs and Jungkook laughed.


	40. Favor

Ch.40

It was moments like this when Seokjin wished he had friends his age. He sunk his seat after telling the waiter he wasn't ordering any alcohol. Yoongi was snickering as the male mumbled that he had to drive you children all home anyway. There would be no drinking for him. Hoseok and you bit back on your giggles. Were you guys perhaps the reason he wanted to drink? Namjoon only sighed, appreciating the fact that the teacher was responsible. The president soon looked at the zoo staring at him with big eyes. The kids stopped breathing when the waiter had asked Seokjin if he wanted an alcoholic drink.

Namjoon raised a brow at them to see if they had a problem. They were only acting childishly and bursted into a fit of giggles together. It was to be expected. All eight of you have been at the restaurant for about an hour now. The celebration of finishing tech was going well in your opinion. The boys were eating a lot of meat. No one was fighting or stressing out. That was able to make you smile and relax. Each of them were becoming closer as a group. With the contest date coming near, they were getting more fired up. The boys wanted to defeat all the other groups they saw practicing today. Though one specific group was on their mind that they all wanted to beat.

D-Crunch.

The nine-member boy group was finally beginning to get on the team's nerves. Hoseok told them what happened during the dance battles. Jimin and Jungkook were upset as they recounted everything. That's when Yoongi and Namjoon talked about the rap battles. There was a tie and two dance members beat the dancers of BTS. Plus, D-Crunch were slowly removing their silly behavior. They were becoming serious and were doing well in getting under everyone's skin as the contest drew near.

"I wanted to be friends, but...I want to win," Jimin mumbled.

"Those kids. What next? Are they going to request a battle between vocals?" Seokjin popped a shrimp in his mouth. "They should just wait until the actual competition."

"Don't talk with food in your mouth." Yoongi covered the male's mouth.

"Leave me alone!"

"I agree with Jimin. I mean, I've wanted to beat them since the beginning. The only person I want to befriend is Yeonjae." Jungkook grinned. "But only to annoy him."

"You would be like that." Taehyung stuck out his tongue.

"I think they want to actually be seen as a threat to us." Hoseok shrugged, reaching towards a piece meat that was sizzling on the open grill. "They weren't scary to us before. Now I can admit we have formidable competition."

"That's a big word for you." Namjoon teased, getting a quick glare from the popular boy.

"You've been hanging out with Yoongi too much!" Hoseok whined.

"It's not his fault. I need equipment to produce the fourth song and I cut him off from making music," Yoongi explained as he leaned over the table to bump fists with the president.

"Stealing my best friend! That's what you're doing." Hoseok clicked his tongue.

"Nah, I'm best friends with Seokjin here." Yoongi grinned, wrapping his arm around the startled teacher. Seokjin frowned with his brows tightly puckered together.

"Hyung! Seokjin _hyung_!" Seokjin lifted his chopstick to rub wasabi on Yoongi's nose. Instantly, the delinquent hissed. That's where you came in to make sure Yoongi didn't kill the man. Seokjin flinched but was yelling that he had the power to fail him. Yoongi only rolled his eyes and dared him to try it. Let's see if Mr. Yoo allows it. Jungkook was sighing as he asked you to stop his two favorite members from smacking each other. The second they heard that, Yoongi and Seokjin melted. Yoongi wouldn't admit it but he was soft towards Jungkook.

"But Namjoon hyung is my top favorite at the moment." Jungkook stared at the leader with a huge smile.

"Thank you, Kookie. You're a very talented vocalist and dancer in my eyes. You're golden at a lot of things for your age." Namjoon put more meat on the bunny's plate. The maknae's big eyes sparkled at the added food. His cheeks were also blazing from the compliments. Before Jungkook had a chance to eat it, a jealous puppy stole it from his plate.

"Hey! That was mine!" Jungkook growled.

"And he's MY big brother!" Taehyung angrily chewed. Jungkook groaned and rolled his eyes. He knew how sensitive Taehyung could be when it came to his brother. The puppy's relationship with Namjoon has changed for the better though. Namjoon shook his head and secretly put another chunk of meat on the maknae's plate. Jungkook stuffed it in his mouth before Taehyung had a chance to steal it from him. Jimin made eye contact with Hoseok. Those two grinned as they shook their heads, silently claiming themselves as the least problematic duo. "Don't betray me, Hyung. Or I just might have to make Yoongi hyung my real hyung."

"That's not happening," Namjoon flatly stated.

"Okay."

"Wow, you gave up on me that easily?" Yoongi scoffed playfully. Taehyung immediately blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. Suddenly, Taehyung started to cough. The embarrassment must have made him accidentally choke on his food. Seokjin sprang up on his feet, running to grab the child.

"I KNOW HOW TO DO THE HEIMLICH MANUVER!" Seokjin screeched. He was screaming and babbling the entire time. Jimin and Jungkook were frightened as Seokjin pulled Taehyung's chair back.

"HELP HIM THEN!" Namjoon stood up from his seat, unable to hide his panic. Seokjin had his arms wrapped around Taehyung as he began to do the Heimlich. You stood up from your seat, alarmed but trying to stay calm.

"Why are no staff coming this way? Call help! We need help!" You shouted. Other patrons were silently watching as Seokjin promised that he had this. Namjoon was losing his patience as this continued.

"THAT'S MY BROTHER, SEOKJIN."

"I KNOW."

"THAT'S MY BIGGEST FAN." Yoongi stood up.

"THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND." Jimin was already starting to cry.

"Staff!" You called over a waitress. She walked over, unaware of the huge scene. Seokjin was counting down five abdominal thrusts. Hoseok and Jungkook were pointing out how bad Taehyung looked. The waitress came to you oblivious until she saw what was going. Right away, she gasped and ran to call for help.

"Two!! ONE!" Seokjin shouted tiredly as Taehyung finally coughed up the meat that had been lodged in his throat. Taehyung gasped and laughed breathlessly while Seokjin was sweating. Namjoon hurriedly rushed to his little brother.

"Tae, are you okay?" Namjoon hugged him tightly.

"I'm okay, but..." Taehyung stared at you apologetically.

"But?" Namjoon frowned, pulling away in fear.

"Noona." Taehyung pointed at your face. Slowly everyone at the table stared at you to see the chewed meat stuck on your forehead. It was moist and slimy. You hadn't said a word the entire time and you sort of wished Taehyung didn't mention it. A few members wanted to laugh while others were shocked. Your face was scrunched tightly, but you didn't want Taehyung to think you were disgusted. As long as he's safe. The second you stopped scrunching your face, the meat rolled down your nose and fell onto the ground. "Sorry..."

"It's fine, Tae..."

Celebrating the first tech was a lot more eventful than anyone ever thought it would be. Namjoon thanked Seokjin and wouldn't stop hugging Taehyung. The puppy wanted to be set free, but his brother had him clutched in his talons. It didn't look like Namjoon would be releasing him any time soon. Yoongi later came up to you, whispering that it was kind of funny that the meat hit your face. Hoseok nodded his head and so did Jungkook. You were ready to run them over with Seokjin's car. At least the others offered you a napkin. Some people have manners!

Taehyung apologized to you again. He didn't think you meant it when you said it was fine. You really did! You wanted to give him a hug to reassure him, but Namjoon was being greedy and overprotective. To be honest, you couldn't quite blame him. He's responsible for making sure Taehyung survives. In the end, the celebration was cut short due to Taehyung's near-death experience. Seokjin promised to drive everyone back to Namjoon's house. You were going to go with them, seeing as everyone else was getting into his car. There was only one person who waved and insisted he couldn't go. He had sudden plans to attend to which made everyone frown.

"Do you want me to drop you off?" Seokjin asked.

"No, it's fine. It's not far from here." Hoseok shook his head, taking a step back. "Trust me. I'll be perfectly fine."

"We were gonna do karaoke together." Yoongi pouted.

"We were?" Hoseok furrowed his brows.

"I teamed us up but okay. Another time. Got it?" Yoongi sounded threatening. The orange hair grinned instead of gulping. A smile that easily made the rest of you smile back.

"Take care, Hoseok. See you at school tomorrow." Namjoon waved.

"I'm actually going home myself!" You took a step away from the car. The boys turned their heads suddenly to you in surprise. They blinked with blank stares and noticed that Hoseok was sharing the same look. The two of you didn't secretly have plans together like Yoongi and you once did. "I told my parents I had period cramps. They think I'm home and I should get back before they get back from work."

"Period cramps?" Jungkook raised a brow.

"Don't worry about it," Jimin said.

"Jiminie!" Taehyung giggled. Those two were smirking as if they had just told each other a dirty joke. They found it so funny that Jungkook didn't understand. Seokjin turned around in his seat, narrowing his eyes on the two.

"You two little—"

"Bye!" You waved. The puppy and baby chick appreciated your interruption. They knew they were about to get scolded while Jungkook remained clueless. By the time the car door was closing, you could already hear Yoongi trying to explain females to Jungkook. Namjoon stared out the window, uncomfortable and his little brother was sharing the same expression.

You waved as the car drove away from the restaurant. They left the parking lot, heading in the familiar direction of the Kim household. The smile on your face stayed until you turned around to look at Hoseok. Where did he go? The smile vanished in seconds as you looked left and right for the popular boy. He's always so loud and lets his presence be known. Where could he have gone so secretively? You went on the sidewalk with a frown before noticing Hoseok hurriedly walking to the bus stop across the street. He ran from you without even saying anything! Just by being yourself, you started running across the street which was dangerous. You really should have checked if cars were coming, but you survived!

Hoseok was about to sit on the bench until he noticed you charging at him. His eyes widened as you jumped to tackle him. That was the original plan. You were hoping for some big take down, but Hoseok didn't take it that way. The most you did was knock him into a sitting position on the bench when you jumped him. Hoseok fell into his seat and was blushing profusely. At first you didn't understand, too upset that you didn't knock him down for not saying anything to you. It was then when you realized you were straddling him on the bench. Your hands resting on his shoulders while you sat perfectly on his lap, the male already trembling.

"So where are you off to?" You _casually_ slipped off him. The orange hair was a blushing mess as you sat next to him, slowly taking your leg off him. There. Now all your body parts aren't on him. You bit your lip, hoping he wouldn't say anything about it. This afternoon has been strange enough.

"...somewhere." Hoseok cleared his throat. You pursed your lips, looking at the bus schedule behind him. This bus had a route you weren't quite familiar with. Out of all the stops, there was one that stood out to you. Slowly, your eyes returned to him with sympathy. Hoseok sighed to himself, knowing you had easily figured it out. The other members wouldn't have known without knowing the truth. That's why Hoseok left you so quickly. You're the only friend that knows.

"You're going to visit her?" You questioned in a soft voice.

"Was my lap not comfortable?" Hoseok defensively retorted.

"...okay then." You bit back on what you wanted to actually say. You wanted to respond with a snarky joke, but it was risky and potentially flirtatious so you didn't. Your cheeks heated up at the memory of being that close to Hoseok. It was making your heart race which you couldn't understand. Shaking your head, you smacked Hoseok's shoulder in hopes of making you feel better.

"AH! I get it!" Hoseok pouted. "Sorry, that was a d*ck thing to say...I'm sorry."

"Does that mean I'm right?" You put your hand on his back for comfort. Hoseok's head was gradually sinking. He didn't have the energy to lift it up. Hoseok wore a frown and gloomy grey eyes that refused to look anywhere else. He didn't have to say anything for you to know the answer. "Is that why you didn't tell the others?"

Hoseok remained silent for along time before his voice came out a whisper, "I don't know how I'll react if I tell them."

"You're a strong person, Hoseokie." You wrapped your arms around him. Hoseok chuckled and leaned into your hug. "Have you been visiting your mother regularly?"

"I have now." Hoseok weakly nodded before he finally got himself to look you in the eyes. The bus was coming to a stop in front of the both of you. "Do you want to meet her?"

This was how your plans for today had changed. You went on the bus with Hoseok, holding his hand for as long as he needed it. On the way over, you texted your Mom that you were feeling better now and that your friend Hosook needed you for something important. Mom luckily had no problem with it. The only thing that left you uneasy was the smiling emoji she sent. It was innocent but coming from her felt different. Almost like she knew the truth and was pretending to look the other way. At least you get to go with Hoseok to see his mom without any issues. You knew it would have been a different story if you texted your father instead.

Hoseok held your hand tighter as the two of you arrived at the large hospital. His hand was getting a little sweaty at the sight of the place. Soon the bus opened its doors and the two of you hopped out. Hoseok stood still as the bus drove away to continue on its route. A heavy sigh left Hoseok as he mentally prepared himself. It wasn't easy for him yet which you could understand. He squeezed your hand as the two of you made your way to the hospital. The two of you entered, the clean class doors opening the second you both stood in front of it. The place smelled like cleaning supplies. That was the first thing you always noticed.

Looking around, you walked down the long white halls that had yellow lights. They were a bit awful, but there wasn't much you could do about it. Hoseok brought you to an elevator, quickly pressing a button for the floor level his mother was on. What caught your attention most was how nervous he was. You had a feeling he would be calmer if he went by himself. Hoseok tapped his foot the entire ride up, avoiding making eye contact with you. Once the doors opened, he instantly began dragging you out and you almost stumbled over your feet.

"H-Hoseok!" You freaked out. That got him to pause, facing you with an apologetic expression. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, (F/n)...I'm just a little nervous." Hoseok slipped his fingers away from yours.

"Would it be better if I left?" You asked to see his eyes widen. "I don't want to intrude on something personal. I doubt your Mom wants to meet a stranger."

"Cha (F/n), you are not a stranger." Hoseok insisted in a deeper tone of voice. He grabbed your hands and you were taken back by how much he meant it. "You're my friend. Not just any friend either. You're different from all my past friends and that makes you so much more important to me. You're a real friend and my Eomma will welcome you with open arms."

"I appreciate it...and you're a great friend too. A nice real one." You grinned as he smiled back at you. The two of you walked to the room his mom was staying in. He knocked on the open door, announcing his entrance with a bubbly attitude. A lot different from the nervous side he showed you earlier. He was acting strong for his mom who was busy watch a drama on the television. She didn't even hear her son who was calling out to her multiple times. Hoseok sighed heavily as if this was a typical occurrence. She was in deep with her drama. All you got to see was a mother and father discovering what 'Gangnam beauty' meant after unintentionally implying a woman had plastic surgery.

Ms. Jung huffed once her television turned off. She turned to face the source, ready to yell until she saw it was Hoseok. Her angry eyes immediately softened at the sight of him. Healthy and smiling. She had her arms opened wide for Hoseok to hug her. Something about witnessing the sweet moment made you melt inside. It was so cute and you were a sucker for cute things. Hoseok wanted to give her the tightest hug, but you could tell he was being gentle with her. Ms. Jung looked frail in her bed. She was skinny, but still had a heart shaped smile just like her son. She had small tubes giving her air in her nose and extremely thin hair. There was still some left, but it didn't leave her scalp to the imagination. You didn't know Hoseok was going through this with a family member. All you thought was that it was a lie he made up for sympathy back in middle school. How wrong you were.

"You're lucky you're my son! If you were a nurse or doctor, well I would have gotten myself out of this bed!" She laughed.

"Don't go off fighting people, Eomma." Hoseok chuckled. She couldn't stop smiling, running her hands through his hair. Hoseok closed his eyes, letting her know it felt nice. She muttered how cute he was before her eyes wandered to you. She stopped and glanced at her son, eventually looking at you again.

"Hello there," Ms. Jung spoke softly. Though you were no one she knew, she gave you a smile as if you were an old friend. It automatically made you feel warm. A strange sense of emotions hit you, but you did your best to ignore it all.

"Hello, Ms. Jung." You bowed. "I'm Cha (F/n), Hoseok's friend and classmate."

"Oh really?" Ms. Jung's eyes sparkled. She clasped her hands together, sitting straighter in her bed. Hoseok didn't hesitate to tell her on how she should be taking it easy. He pulled up her blanket and was puffing up her pillow. While he did all that, Ms. Jung pointed at her son to you and motioned that he was crazy. A giggle slipped out, but you cut it off. Hoseok furrowed his brows but resumed to helping out his mom. "So you go to the famous Sehwang Academy as well?"

"I do. I actually went to the same middle school as Hoseok too." You smiled to see her face light up further. The happiness radiating off this woman was so infectious. You could clearly see where Hoseok got it from. Ms. Jung was staring at you as if you were the most interesting person in the world.

"Is that so? And you're still friends with him?" She asked.

"She's not the fake friends I had. We knew each other then, but we've only become friends recently," Hoseok explained. Her mouth turned into a wide 'o' and she nodded. Things were making sense to her and she looked a lot more relieved. Her eyes continued to sparkle as she gazed at you again.

"I see now! You must be some of his new friends that he's mentioned!" Ms. Jung pointed out before pouting and giving her son a glare. "But he refused to share any names. 'Just some classmates' is all he said! Can you believe that?"

"Jung Hoseok, how could you? You don't talk about me to your own mother?" You scoffed in an exaggerated tone. Hoseok chuckled at your extra act of putting your hand over your heart, acting as if you had been physically hurt. The interaction made Ms. Jung's smile again, wider than it was earlier.

"I do! I'm just very vague, but I'll do better." Hoseok sighed.

"Yes! And I would also like to meet all of them!" Ms. Jung looked at you with anticipation. Almost like she knew you would be more likely to make that happen than her son. You smiled at her while your eyes watched Hoseok. He moved around the foot of her bed, a frown on his face. It was clear that he didn't want to introduce anyone else yet.

"Sure, Eomma. When they're all free." Hoseok didn't sound like he meant it. His mom shifted in her bed, watching as he took a seat to her left. That's when she stared at you and insisted you take a seat too. You might as well. You don't know how long you'll be staying here, but you doubt you would get bored at all. Ms. Jung wasn't giving you a chance to believe anything was dull with her around. You grabbed a chair and sat to the right of her.

For the next hour, the three of you spent it entirely by talking. Ms. Jung wanted to know what was going on in school and in your lives. It felt so touching that she cared to know more about you. She treated you so kindly, appreciating how you've been there for Hoseok. She also found it funny when you admitted that you didn't like him at first. It left the male embarrassed, but he did find humor in it. Hoseok didn't really talk too much. He mainly rested his upper body on the bed, holding his mom's hand while her other free hand pet his hair. It was adorable. She stroked his hair and asked you all kinds of questions. You answered each one honestly, but you could tell which things Hoseok had kept secret.

The biggest example was the competition. Her eyes widened in shock to hear Hoseok was participating in something so big like that. How come she never told him? Instead of petting him gently, she pinched his cheek. You bit your lip while Hoseok winced at his punishment. Ms. Jung was more than happy that you came to visit. You told her a lot more than Hoseok did. Apparently, he used to tell her everything and then recently not so much. She could never understand why. Was it age? She continued to poke his cheek as she told him that she could support him by watching it on the television she had in her room. Hoseok was embarrassed but apologized in the end.

That got his mom to smile again. She stopped complaining and began asking a ton of questions on the competition. She discovered you were the manager of the group they named BTS. She learned the names of all the other members who were also Hoseok's closest friends. Ms. Jung was completely fascinated by it all as she heard how hard they worked. That's when you told her about Hoseok spraining his ankle and you forcing him to get it checked. Otherwise he would have ignored it. Hoseok was blushing, unable to believe that you revealed that. Ms. Jung stared at you carefully after you said that.

"It's healed now!" Hoseok huffed.

"It wouldn't have healed so nicely if I hadn't brought you to the clinic." You crossed your arms.

"Who jumps an injured person?" Hoseok remarked.

"I did that because I care about you." You pressed your hands against your chest. Hoseok shook his head, laughing at you. Though it came off as joke, you did mean it too. Hoseok stood up by this time, alerting his mom that the two of you would be leaving now. He leaned to kiss her cheek.

"We'll be going now, Eomma," Hoseok said.

"Oh, I see." She nodded, her eyes drifting over to you. "Actually, can I speak with (F/n) alone for a minute?"

"Me?" You were surprised she wanted to do that. Hoseok didn't expect that either. "Sure, we can talk."

"Perfect. Come visit me soon, my beautiful baby boy!" Ms. Jung pulled Hoseok closer to her, excitedly kissing him all over his face. The teen looked embarrassed when she finished. He quietly left the room, telling you that he would wait outside. His mom requested that he close the door too. His brows jumped to hear that, but he listened to her anyway. The room fell quiet once it was just the two of you. It made you nervous despite her warm aura never leaving. She stared at you softly as you quietly pulled the chair closer to her bed. What could she possibly want to talk to you about? "Sorry, I know this must feel really sudden. I just have a favor to ask you which I know must feel very burdensome since we've just met..."

"It's completely fine! You don't have to worry about it." You smiled, knowing this would be important. You just hope you would be able to help her with whatever it might be. Ms. Jung stretched her hand out and kept her palm open for you to grab. Slowly you took her hand and felt her cold hand squeeze yours as hard as she could. "What do want me to do?"

"We both care for Hoseok," She started, rubbing the back of your hand with her thumb. "I love him so much that there's just no word in the world to explain it. It's a feeling so strong that it can make me cry. He makes me so proud every day and as a mother, I couldn't have asked for a better son. He's my little boy...and I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt me that he's had to grow up without me by his side. He has to see me sick and attached to all these machines. For years now, he's had to be there for when I was terrified and I had to be there for when he was the same."

You stared at Ms. Jung quietly. This favor was proving to be important. As she spoke, you could already see how much she loved him. Even when you were talking about how popular and well liked he is at school, she was glowing. Any happiness he received made her feel like she was sharing the same kind. His achievements and accomplished goals left her with an unending smile. What surprised you most was how her eyes never became teary eyed. She stayed strong while you felt a lump forming in your throat from only hearing her describe a mother's love for their child. Hoseok was her world. He was a glimpse of the future to her now that she's been stuck here for longer than she's wanted.

"Hoseok sometimes gets a one track mind. He'll focus on one thing and won't let it go. To the point where he'll ignore important things, but I'm so thrilled that he has you. Someone to help him realize that he can rest and stop once in a while," She stated. "Hoseok lost his father at a young age and I know I'm going to be gone very soon. I don't have much time left. I'm scared I won't see him graduate. I want to see him get his driver's license. I would love to embarrass him in front of his other friends too."

She giggled as you felt tears begin to prick at your eyes. You didn't like her speaking about her death so casually. No matter what, she stayed like a beacon of positivity. She wasn't going to let her current situation stop her from smiling. Though not every day is a good day, Ms. Jung tried her best to make it work. She's clearly a fighter, but she wasn't afraid to admit that she's gotten tired. She was fighting a battle with a monster that wouldn't quit.

"I can't speak about this with Hoseok since I know he won't want to hear it. I know that he's aware I don't have much time left anyway. I can tell by the way he hides things...he doesn't think it's important. He doesn't want me to meet his friends only for life to take its course. I understand, but at the same time I don't." She sighed heavily. "I want the best for him. The absolute best. And I know I can rely on his new friends to help him. Especially you, Cha (F/n). I want you to take care of Hoseok when I'm not around. If it's not too much to ask, I want you to make sure he eats and remembers to take a shower for when I'm gone."

"Don't say that." You bit your lip.

"But it needs to be said. I'm worried." She noticed the tears in your eyes. "I'm not worried about where I'll go. I don't care about what'll happen to me...all I care about is how Hoseok will take it. Dance is so important to him and I want him to focus on that. I need his friends by his side to make sure he takes care of himself because I won't always be here. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

"I-I understand." You were crying. You didn't want to, but it was happening against your wishes.

"Now I may not live as long as most, but I'm not disappearing tomorrow. That's not how it works." She laughed, wiping away your tears. Her laughter soon quieted as the mood became serious again. "I'll make sure to be there as much as I can for him, but I know I can't keep this up. So please don't cry. I raised Hoseok to live happily and leave a positive influence. When I die, I don't want tears. I want others to be strong and march on. They should sing and dance. I'm a strong person and I want them all to know I'll be just fine."

"..." You couldn't speak. You were trying to hold back your tears and it wasn't really working out well.

"Don't cry, Sweetie." Ms. Jung squeezed your hand. "All I ask of you is to take care of Hoseok. Can you do that for me?"

"I will!" You shouted with determination. You didn't want to let her down whatsoever.

She chuckled and thought you were cute. She didn't want you to devote your life to taking care of her son, but she would appreciate it if you sent him texts. Asking him how his day is and to give him a hug when he needs one. A shoulder to cry on when he has his own bad days. Before you left, you gave Ms. Jung a hug and bowed. You didn't think you would be crying today. Sniffling, you stepped out into the hall to see Hoseok leaning against the wall. He was chewing on his lip and instantly ran to you once you closed the door behind you. He was shocked to see your tears, immediately wiping them away in worry. He couldn't understand how you went from giggling with his mom to tears.

"(F/n), what's wrong?" Hoseok stared closely at your face.

"H-Hoseok..." You hugged him tightly. It hurt you to know someone so kindhearted as him and his mom had to go through this. It wasn't fair. Hoseok eventually understood why you were holding onto him for dear life. He hugged you back just as tight. Maybe even a little tighter. "I-I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." He shook his head.

"B-But—"

"I have the boys from BTS and I'll always have Eomma. No matter what. And..." Hoseok breathed out, emotions slowly slipping out of him. Scared, his heart beginning to beat as hard as yours. "I got you."


	41. Convenience Store Run

Ch.41

You're going to take care of the boys. That's what you officially decided on. Ms. Jung told you to take care of Hoseok, but you feel it's in your best interest to look out for Yoongi and Namjoon as well. Technically, you already take care of Yoongi. Your biggest responsibility with him is mainly feeding him. Yoongi completely ignores you when you tell him to sleep well. Then there was Namjoon who one wouldn't think would need much help. He's the class president, incredibly intelligent, and basically the source of Sehwang's ego. Except that Namjoon in reality is very clumsy and can't always figure out the emotional side of life.

Not saying that Namjoon is only a logical thinker. He feels too, but sometimes focuses on his emotions only. That's what led to his old fights with Taehyung. Luckily, you've helped him mend that relationship. Taehyung and him no longer fight. They seem closer than ever before. The square grinned boy is very happy about that. The only time he has slight regrets are when Namjoon let's his protective side come out more freely. Yesterday was the prime example. It took forever for Taehyung to leave Namjoon's lung crushing hug. You chuckled at the memory as you stared at the boys in front of you.

The four of you were seated in Mr. Kim's class as usual. It felt so weird to call him that now. All of you could agree that it was more comfortable calling him by his first name. He really hated it when you guys did it at school though. At the moment, Mr. Kim had handed out a fairly thick review textbook to study for the standardized testing the school went through. Just the sight of it made you feel dizzy. Hoseok wasn't too happy about it either. Yoongi wanted to throw it out the window, but Mr. Kim left Namjoon in charge to make sure Yoongi didn't. Speaking of Namjoon, the president wasn't stressing over the testing like you thought he would be. He only had a bad itch to write lyrics and work on the song for the final round of the contest.

"I finished writing on a majority of the lyrics." Yoongi's eyes travelled to meet Hoseok's. "You think you can start working on yours?"

"Yeah, I'll get right on it. Just send me the demo of the song and the lyrics you got so far." Hoseok nodded.

"Sure, I'll send it to you right now." Yoongi picked up his phone. He licked his bottom lip as he searched for the final song. He typed quickly on his phone, ignoring the gaze Namjoon was giving him.

"You...You think you can send it to me too?" Namjoon asked.

"No."

"What? Why not!? I need to write my rap part!" Namjoon frowned. "How am I able to write lyrics if I don't know what it sounds like?"

"I'll send you the stuff later when you're ready for it." Yoongi sighed, setting his phone face down on the table. "Right now you're still obsessed with making the best song ever."

"Not anymore! I've learned from my mistakes. Right, (F/n)?" Namjoon looked at you desperately.

"Don't look at me." You didn't want to be a part of their argument. Namjoon groaned while his two friends snickered at his pain.

"I'm the leader! This is ridiculous!" Namjoon huffed.

"Dude, don't mention that so loudly. Seokjin is starting to look at us," Hoseok whispered. The four of you glanced back to the front of the classroom. Exactly like Hoseok had said, Mr. Kim was looking over at you guys. His head had perked up in interest. Though he was trying to casually correct papers, his little glances at you guys were so noticeable. He wants you guys to refer to him as Mr. Kim here at school, but he acts so much like the Seokjin you guys know. His professionalism easily wavers when it comes to you four.

"We're his favorites. Especially me." Yoongi smirked, leaning back confidently in his seat.

"That's one way to see it." You grinned.

"Whatever. We'll see him at practice today after school." Namjoon sighed. "There will be a bit of a wait though. Jimin has dance class after school this time. Taehyung and Jungkook are going to join him too."

"That actually works for me. I have piano practice today, but I'll head over once it's over," Yoongi stated, his smirk widening. "I'll just say it's because of standardized testing." He held up the review textbook high in the air. "I guess this bullsh*t does come in handy in life after all."

"You would say that." Namjoon laughed. Hoseok and you were in a fit of giggles too. Well, it's not like what Yoongi said was wrong.

It wasn't long before Seokjin came over. He came to talk to you guys about the testing. Pretending that he was giving the president tips, scolding Yoongi, and such. When he felt that others weren't looking over, he would talk about how he practices vocal exercises with Jungkook every day. It was really cute in your opinion as always. You found a lot of things cute. The boys only nodded their heads without much care. Class eventually ended and Seokjin almost slipped up in front of the entire class. He was speaking to you guys when he said, 'see you—' and was close to saying after school. Thankfully, he caught himself and spit out 'tomorrow'. That didn't stop Seokjin from earning strange looks from his students.

You knew that Yoongi would be bringing this up later to Seokjin. Yoongi took any chance he could to tease his favorite teacher. Just as you thought, you saw Yoongi take out his phone. He was already texting Seokjin things. The delinquent laughed to himself as he pressed send. You were surprised to see how much the two texted. It was an interesting friendship. No one would think that a delinquent and a teacher would be close friends. Then there was also the fact that their personalities were basically opposites. Grumpy Yoongi and chirpy Seokjin.

When lunch came, it was interesting. Seokjin talked to the four of you towards the end. Everything was going fine and soon some of you needed to make your ways to your next class. While the rest of you were leaving, Yoongi was practically glued to his spot. He didn't care if he was late for his class. He remained talking to Seokjin, admitting the teacher had a nice singing tone. Those two are adorable. You turned around to call after Yoongi only to freeze at the sight of Principal Yoo. The principal spotted the two and began walking over to them. It wasn't until Yoongi and Seokjin took a quick selca together that he paused. He didn't walk towards them anymore. Yoongi patted Seokjin before running over to you smugly.

"I'm here now so no need for tears!" Yoongi wrapped his arm around your shoulders.

"Finally..." You didn't give him a sassy retort. You would have, but Principal Yoo's reaction surprised you. He didn't stop in his tracks the last time he saw Seokjin acting friendly with Yoongi. Turning to look over your shoulder, you witnessed Seokjin wave at Principal Yoo and continue to walk away.

You never brought it up to Yoongi. It's not like he would care anyway. He'd probably only make a joke about acting friendlier with Seokjin just to get on Mr. Yoo's nerves. Yoongi could be very petty when he wanted to be which was honestly, a majority of the time. Yoongi dropped you off at your last class of the day and left for his. During the middle of your class, you texted Namjoon and Hoseok that you would be stopping by the convenience store the Park family owned. You needed to get more water and snacks for rehearsals anyway. This was just your job as manager it seems. You'll meet the boys back at Namjoon's house with the supplies.

Namjoon and Hoseok were so sweet. They told you to be safe and they would be waiting for you patiently. Those two were absolutely precious. The vibrant glow and warmth of the sun that came from Hoseok. Then the sweet serenity and gentle shine of the moon that came from Namjoon. Those two were a perfect balance in your life. School soon ended with the simple ring of a bell. Students with their packed bags either left the classroom or lined up to ask the teacher questions. You made your way down the halls, leaving the academy's campus at a calm pace. There was no rush at all. You took a really nice stroll to the convenience store that sat on the corner of a quiet intersection.

Crossing the street, you hurried despite the lack of cars. It was something you always did out of habit. You opened the door and stepped into the air-conditioned building. All you needed was to grab a large chip bag and get a pack of waters for all the boys. Heading towards the refrigerators, you stared at the many brands of water bottles. As you quietly thought to yourself on which one to get in a pack, someone opened the door to get a bottle. They were a lot taller than you with white hair. Blinking at the sudden person, you couldn't help but apologize for being in their way. Bowing your head, you took a step back to see them look back at you. Your eyes widened instantly to see who it was. Right at that second, your heart picked up the pace.

"Oh...it's you." Hyunho stared at you with no expression. The refrigerator door closed on its own as you looked back at him in shock. You had no idea how to react. He's your rival...but he's also very attractive to you.

"Hyunho," was all you could say. He gave you the tiniest smile that made you almost forget on why you came here in the first place. Stay focused! As you pulled yourself together, you realized that he couldn't possibly be here alone. There had to be others. "Wait, are the others here?"

"Only H4." He shrugged, slowly walking up the aisle. A part of you wanted to grab his wrist and prevent him from leaving. You wanted the conversation to last a little longer. Pouting, you watched him look around. Might as well return to what you came here for in the first place. Looking back at the water bottle section, you noticed Hyunwook carefully grabbing a water. He was biting his lip and trying so hard to be secretive. It clearly didn't work. He sighed once he had been caught.

"You weren't supposed to look." Hyunwook straightened his posture and whined. "Hyunho couldn't distract you for a little longer."

"Did he know he was supposed to distract me?" You asked with a small grin.

"Not exactly..." Hyunwook shrugged. He cleared his throat as he shut the door. You shook your head and went to grab a small pack of water bottles already. Hyunwook stepped out of your way instantly, almost as if he didn't want to accidentally touch you. Maybe it's the whole rival thing. You haven't had proper conversations with all of the members, but you could tell Hyunwook felt awkward conversing with you. That explains why he wanted to avoid you when you're not even participating in the contest. "Well, I'll get going then—"

"You're a vocalist, right?" You faced him, holding the cool pack in your arms. Hyunwook was taken by surprise from your question. His body was ready to walk away from you until you continued talking to him. Slowly, Hyunwook looked at you properly as he folded his arms.

"I am. The main one, actually," Hyunwook stated. "Why?"

"I was wondering if the vocalists were ever going to battle. So far the rappers and dancers have." You shrugged to see his brows begin to raise. The confusion didn't hit him quickly. It was a process as his brows lifted high up, wrinkles forming in his forehead. His folded arms became loose as his mouth opened in shock. "Did you not know?"

"When did this happen?" Hyunwook took a step closer to you.

"It's been a while now," You mumbled. Did they seriously not tell him? Before Hyunwook could voice any of his opinions, another member slid in your aisle. They were energetically looking for him and spotted you. The smile on their face only grew to see a familiar person.

"(F/n)! What a surprise!" Hyunoh ran over. "I see you're talking to Hyunwook hyung!"

"Y-You! You're a dancer! Did you battle—?" Hyunwook straightaway pointed a finger at the boy. A gentle sigh left the dancer who had been caught.

"It's fine! You worry too much." Hyunoh waved his concerns off. It seems like they left their eldest hyung in the dark. Hyunwook begrudgingly stopped complaining, but it was obvious it bugged him. By this time, Hyunho was returning and with Hyunwoo too. You've gotten better with saying their names, but it can still be so confusing. Hyunwoo adjusted his glasses as if to make sure he was seeing the right thing. Hyunoh chuckled while Hyunwook wanted to roll his eyes. It was only Hyunho who had already paid for his item, drinking his water quietly.

"Hyunwook hyung! What's wrong with you? Not even helping a lady out!" Hyunwoo rushed to help you carry the tiny pack of water bottles. To be honest, you weren't going to complain about getting help. Your arms were getting tired anyway. They're also really cold now so it was nice to have the break. While you appreciated it, Hyunwook gave the male a strong glare.

"Did you even buy what you came here for?" Hyunwook questioned.

"Yeah, Hyunho hyung is carrying it." Hyunwoo nudged his head to the male who lifted up the bag. Hyunoh's eyes widened as he turned around.

"I should go pay for my thing!" He ran, trying his best not to slip on the pristine white floors.

"W-Wait! I'm paying with you!" Hyunwook started running before quickly turning to face you. "We're still rivals!"

"Definitely!" You nodded. He grinned at the response, running over to Hyunoh with his water bottle. Sometimes it felt like you didn't get the full rival experience. They were all still friendly towards you. The only one who tried keeping his guard up against you was Hyunwook. It was very much appreciated. It was nice to be included. Turning to face Hyunwoo, he stared at you through his circle rimmed glasses with a tiny smile.

"You paying for anything else?" He asked.

"Yep. Chips!" You walked to chip aisle. He followed you, holding your other item without any complaints. You were surprised he hadn't given it back to you.

When he took the bottles from you, it felt more for show. Something to tease Hyunwook about for no reason. Hyunho quietly followed behind as you got all your things. It made you wonder if they knew this stuff was for your boys. There was one thing you knew for sure. That was the fact that you weren't going to tell BTS that you bumped into four of their rivals. Much less the fact that one of them helped you out. Hyunwoo set the bottles on the counter as well as the chips. You paid, assuming the woman behind the counter was Jimin's mom. She smiled as she put all your things in a bag. That's where you saw her eyes turn into lines. Exactly the same.

Once the items were paid for, you were fine with carrying everything yourself. It wasn't too heavy anyway. The four boys walked out of the convenience store with you. It was almost strange how comfortable you felt around them despite them being your group's rivals. The second all of you stepped outside, the mood grew awkward. What now? This is where the five of you separate. The four of them one way and you the other. Hyunwook mumbled that it was nice seeing you. He was the most ready to leave while the others were in no rush.

"Bye, (F/n)! It'll be exciting seeing you on the day of the contest." Hyunoh playfully winked. "We finished our tech today."

"Why are you telling her everything?" Hyunwook frowned.

"It's harmless!" Hyunwoo let out a frustrated sigh. "Come on. Don't be a weenie!"

"Weenie?" You raised a brow. That insult was very familiar. It automatically brought back memories to when the rappers battled. Hyunoh was shaking his head and Hyunwook was done. Then there was Hyunwoo who said it himself but was now blushing.

"He's the source..." Hyunho shoved his hands in his pockets. "That's why our young members used weenie as a threat."

"Oh!" You tried not to laugh. Hyunwoo looked embarrassed enough. Hyunwook was finally enjoying the situation though. They all bowed their heads towards you. Some of their 'byes' were quieter than others. It only made you giggle when you started walking away from them. As soon as you turned your back from them, you could hear them all bickering and ganging up on Hyunwoo. The poor boy just wanted to sleep now, but he was never safe from their torment. You wonder what that could have possibly meant.

On your walk over to Namjoon's house, your phone buzzed. You stopped to take your phone out. Taehyung sent a video through the group chat. Opening the video up, you smiled right away. The video showed Taehyung setting the phone up before running off to get in line with Jimin and Jungkook. One by one, they went across the floor doing ballet moves. It seemed like only Jungkook and Taehyung were aware that they were getting recorded. Jimin remained oblivious as he fixed his tights in front of the camera. You couldn't stop smiling at how cute it was. Jimin looked so serious in the dance classroom. That's when the pink hair noticed the phone recording, a huge blush going across his face.

"N-No!" He ran towards it. Taehyung leaped for his phone, refusing to let Jimin anywhere near it. "Delete!"

"Never!" Taehyung yelled.

"Send it to the group chat!" Jungkook's voice shouted in the background. That's when the video cut out, the screen getting blurry as Jimin tried to pry the phone away from Taehyung. These boys. You left a supportive text before tucking your phone away and continuing your walk back to Namjoon's place with a smile.


	42. Rescued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Implied sexual assault in this chapter)

Ch.42

Jimin's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dance class finished half an hour ago. We're supposed to be heading back to Taehyung's house, but we keep getting distracted. Let me rephrase that. Taehyung keeps getting distracted and Jungkook makes it worse. If they would only listen to me then we would already be practicing with our hyungs. Do they even want to beat D-Crunch? Win the competition at all? It was a bit frustrating if I'm being honest. Jungkook and Taehyung joined my dance class like they always did. I'm surprised my teacher hasn't kicked them out yet or told them to pay for the classes. She only smiles at them for trying to follow along to the best of their abilities.

I think having them learn ballet is what's helping them improve their dancing so quickly. Ballet is filled with technique and is the basis of all kinds of styles. It really helps Jungkook and Taehyung get in tune with their body. They mentally prepare themselves for how exhausting it is but work to make it look graceful and effortless. Now they know the struggle I constantly put myself through. Taehyung and Jungkook end up sweating a lot from the classes. They say it's hard and always end up aching since their body hasn't been trained to move this way. It's entertaining to me, but I appreciate that they do it repeatedly anyway.

The only thing that bugs me is when they occasionally mess around. Taehyung started recording after our class learned a few quick steps. I didn't notice him prop it up. Mainly because Jungkook was blocking him and I was entirely focused on dancing as always. Our teacher clapped her hands, making us all go one by one to demonstrate our petit allegros. Though she said mine was perfect, I could have sworn I was off beat. Each move perfectly went along with the keys of the piano yet I didn't sauté high enough. It was sloppy.

That's when I saw Taehyung's phone resting against the wall. Open and recording. My face flushed instantly to know I was being recorded. Taehyung had to be mean though. I fought with him to delete the video, but he sent it to the group chat. It's so embarrassing! I wanted to punch Taehyung so we wrestled for a bit outside of the studio. After a while, Jungkook told us to knock it off. That's how we first got distracted and that was partly my fault. I admit that, but the second time was all Taehyung! He wanted to get ice cream and so _we did!_

"What does yours taste like, Jiminie?" Taehyung shoved his nose in my direction. I scrunched my face, upset with how close he was to taking a bite of mine.

"It tastes good. Back off!" I huffed.

"I don't get why you're being so mean to me!" Taehyung took a big bite of his chocolate ice cream cone. I had a cup of strawberry while Jungkook had a vanilla cone. I ignored him which only made him feel saddened. Unlike me, Taehyung doesn't get annoyed when someone ignores him. He began to sulk and I sighed, knowing that Taehyung never means to intentionally hurt anyone.

"Don't be like that." I wrapped my arm around him. His head was low and he was no longer interested in finishing his ice cream. I lifted my cup up to his face, smiling at him. "Here. It's delicious and you should try it."

"I can?" Taehyung looked at me. Once I nodded, he happily took a big scope. I tried not to show anger on my face anymore. Taehyung let me try his ice cream and we were both giggling as we walked down the street. Suddenly, there was a heavy sigh next to us.

"Something wrong?" I asked, seeing Jungkook who had finished his treat. He had a cone in his hand a second ago. "Oh! Sorry, we didn't mean to make you feel like a third wheel."

"You know, Jungkook, Namjoon hyung used to be our third wheel. He didn't have friends before noona showed up so he would hang out with us seventh graders." Taehyung grinned, eating the rest of his cone in one big chomp. "Not gonna lie, it was awkward sometimes."

"At least Namjoon hyung can relate." Jungkook shrugged before his eyes landed on a store. He stopped walking and caught the attention of Taehyung. The two of them stared up at the building's sign. It was a comic book store. Normally, I'd be very excited to enter. The only reason I was against the idea and already shaking my head was because we've been taking too long. I knew Namjoon hyung would call Taehyung sooner or later. Heck, Seokjin hyung or Hoseok hyung might call too. Even noona! Practically all of them since they are waiting for us after all!

"Guys, no. It's getting dark out and this place looks shady as hell." I finished the strawberry in my cup. Taehyung and Jungkook were already staring at each other with smirks. These two were always causing me trouble! It used to be Taehyung, but now we have someone who arguably does more than Taehyung at times. "Listen to me!"

"Gosh, Jimin. It's not like you're our hyung!" Taehyung let out an exasperated sigh. I'd be lying if I said that didn't sting. I'm the oldest of my friends, but we're born in the same year. Sometimes I take charge out of habit which gets on Taehyung's nerves. I've taken charge since Taehyung and I were in the same preschool. He's always been a little troublemaker and I helped keep him in check. "You're only like two d*mn months older than me!"

"We'll check it out real quick. We'll be done before you know it!" Jungkook shoved Taehyung towards the store's entrance. Taehyung only needed one shove before he hid inside. He was upset with me again. My lips were quivering now that it was my turn to feel sad. I didn't like having Taehyung mad at me. Or sad because of me. "Don't worry too much about Tae, Jimin. I'll take care of it." He gave me a thumbs up and vanished inside. I doubt it.

"@sshole," I muttered. I loved the both of them. They were my closest friends, but I really wanted to strangle them too. I stared down at my cup, feeling the same way. Empty.

I looked around for a trashcan in sight. There wasn't any nearby in sight. Why not? My frown continued to grow at my lack of luck. The sun was beginning to set as well. We've been messing around for that long? You got to be kidding me. Crushing my cup in my hand, I noticed a little side street. There had to be a dumpster there where all the shops throw away their trash. I stepped into the narrow space and spotted a dumpster in the middle of the alleyway. Had I been alone, I would have actually approached it. Everything in me froze to see a stranger standing in the alleyway. They didn't look like they were in their best state. The stranger was dressed in rags, completely disheveled and frowzy.

Why wasn't I moving? I wanted to take a step back and excuse myself. Something about the way the man was staring at me made me feel scared. My heart was pounding harshly against my chest. All I wanted to do was throw away my trash. There must be a trash can somewhere else. Maybe inside the comic store? Finally, I began to turn around from the man. He started walking towards me aggressively as I tried to slip away. I didn't understand what this homeless man wanted from me. I didn't have any money or food on me anymore! He grabbed my wrist, roughly tugging me into the alleyway as I struggled wildly against him.

"NO!! LET ME GO!" I cried out. "HELP! HELP ME! FIRE! SAVE ME! ANYONE!?"

"Shut it!" He growled, dragging my smaller frame near the dumpster. Hot tears were dripping down my round cheeks. What did he want from me? Crying out, I wished I had gone inside the store with Taehyung and Jungkook. I was no longer mad at them. The homeless man threw me on the ground, my head almost hitting an open wooden crate. Wincing at the pain, I stared up at him as he began unbuckling his pants. My eyes widened in fear, kicking him away when he tried crouching down. He pressed down on my shoulder, hurting me in the process of holding me down.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Leave him alone!" A voice shouted. I couldn't quite tell who it was. It obviously wasn't Taehyung or Jungkook. The stranger pried the man off and punched him in the face. My arms were covering my head as I sobbed, horrified at the realization of what would have happened to me. Someone then lifted me up from the ground, shoving me and telling me to run. I blinked as I noticed it was Chanyoung.

"Go!" Chanyoung turned around, pulling out what I assumed was pepper spray. He ran towards the homeless guy after Jeongseung kicked him to the ground. He was here too? Jeongseung and Chanyoung traded places. Jeongseung took my hand, running towards the more open area. Though I had tears in my eyes, I saw Dylan staring at me in worry. He was visibly shaking and so was I. Jeongseung rubbed my back, not saying a word as I did my best to collect my breathing.

"Come on. We're safer in the store and you can relax in there." Jeongseung started walking with me towards the door. Dylan opened it for me, sympathy in his eyes. For once he wasn't staring at me like I was someone he could crush in the palm of his hand. The second we stood inside the store, Jeongseung led me to a seat. Dylan walked over to a worker, telling him to contact the police. That's when I realized that Chanyoung was still outside.

"C-Chanyoung!!"

"Hyung will be fine." Jeongseung smiled. "Don't worry. Take it easy."

"...h...how...where..." I had trouble putting my thoughts into words. It's a good thing Jeongseung could put two and two together. He continued to grin, making me relax. He patted my shoulder and sighed.

"We were stalking you guys." Jeongseung rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. He looked around the store. Anything to avoid making eye contact with me while he had a bright blush on his face. "We were originally going to follow you guys into the store until we saw you staying outside. Then you started heading into that alleyway for some reason."

"...I-I just wanted to throw away my trash," I mumbled. The ice cream cup was long gone from my hands though. It must have been dropped in the alleyway. Jeongseung glanced at the floor before looking at me again.

"Didn't you hear about the homeless man causing trouble in the news?" He asked, careful with the way he said it. I could tell he didn't want to make it sound like he was scolding me. I sniffled and wiped my face.

"I did months ago, but I thought he was gone by now," I said.

"He will be soon. Locked up too!" Dylan walked up to me. He was all fired up now, angry now that he wasn't shaking like a chihuahua. I chuckled lightly at how red his face was getting for me. With them around, I surprisingly felt a lot calmer. That's when the door opened and walking in was Chanyoung. He's in here? What happened to the homeless guy? Dylan and Jeongseung must have had the same questions. They turned to face him with stern expressions. The worker left the counter and walked outside with a phone pressed against their ear. It sounded like they were still on the phone with authorities.

Chanyoung answered all their questions. The homeless man was sprayed and knocked out. He handled it so no one else would have to worry. Except...I'm worried. Swallowing hard, I just wanted to leave this area. Go into the warm house that was Taehyung's place. It was like a second home to me and Namjoon was like an actual brother to me too. Not to mention, noona and all the other hyungs were there all the time. Familiar faces that always made me feel safe. I didn't want to go back to my home where my parents would make me work and talk to complete strangers. Funny enough...I didn't consider these three strangers anymore.

"I wanna go..." I said. All three of them looked in my direction.

"You don't want to talk to the police?" Chanyoung walked over to me. He scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward as he spoke to me. "Er, well...I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to..."

"We may be rivals, but holy hell..." Jeongseung laughed to himself. "I'm sorry, Jimin."

"Me too." Dylan frowned as we heard faint police sirens entering the neighborhood. I was taking this as my cue to go. Putting my hands on my knees, I forced myself to stand up. Even if my legs felt like jelly. I hoped they wouldn't give out on me. I stared at all of them with a little smile as two people in the store began walking towards the front, recognizing who I was speaking to.

"Don't be sorry...nothing happened to me. Mainly because of you guys." I ran a hand anxiously through my pink hair. "I should really be thanking all of you." The three boys stared at me like my words weren't necessary. It felt nice until I heard a familiar voice break the moment.

"What's going on here!?" Taehyung pointed his finger. Jungkook stood behind him, glaring at Chanyoung. He must have not been over his dance battle with him. It was embarrassing to have my friends shouting at the top of their lungs. At least the comic store worker was outside. Taehyung marched up to them, making sure they took a couple steps away from me. While Taehyung did that, Jungkook took notice of my appearance. I didn't look the same as when they left me alone. My perfectly white t-shirt was dirty, especially on the back. My black tights were covered in dust and little holes from ripping against the wood of the crate and the asphalt I was pushed on. The scene didn't look so good without context. Well...the context wasn't so good either.

Dylan let out an annoyed huff. This wasn't how they should be treated. They rescued me from experiencing something awful. The small boy tried explaining that he caused no harm to me. None of them did. I appreciated that Dylan didn't go into detail about what happened to me. The only thing I hated was Jungkook pushing Dylan back. Our maknae didn't want to hear it. He only saw my appearance and guys he's been taught not to trust. Though they would be our competition in the contest, I knew that didn't mean they were bad people.

"Try to beat us with your so-called talent! Not with your f*cking fists!" Jungkook growled.

"You're not allowed to lay a hand on my best friend! Who the hell do you guys think you are!?" Taehyung barked at them. He grabbed Chanyoung's green jacket by the collar, threatening to get revenge.

"Stop it! They didn't hurt me!" I shouted, doing my best to push them back. My arms were pretty weak though. Jungkook and Taehyung stared at me silently, shocked at the way I was reacting. I didn't want them treating me like I was crazy. It's basic manners not to go around hurting people for no reason. "...someone tried to hurt me, but they saved me. That's it."

"Why would you guys leave Jimin alone when it's getting dark out?" Dylan gritted his teeth. "Even we should be heading home now!"

"Dylan." Chanyoung pursed his lips, trying to tame their maknae.

"Hey now! Let's just all put it to a rest!" Jeongseung stepped in, shoving Dylan behind him. The tiny blonde glared but was calming down. "We didn't hurt him and Jimin is fine now. I suggest we all go home for our safety. Sound good?"

"...is this what you want, Jimin?" Taehyung looked at me. I was surprised that they were asking me. I almost expected for them to grumble a 'whatever' and storm off with me. I quietly nodded my head, seeing Jungkook and Taehyung finally get off the other's backs. Taehyung bowed at them, mainly at Chanyoung as he walked out. Jungkook jabbed Dylan's chest before walking out.

"Don't test me, Yeonjae." Jungkook huffed.

"It's Dylan!" The baby face crossed his arms.

"Be safe!" Chanyoung shouted, smiling to himself. I bowed to all of them repeatedly as I walked backwards towards the only exit.

"Thank you again!" I waved.

"Bye, Park Jimin!" Jeongseung waved back at me. He gave me a finger heart which I couldn't help giggling at. His thumb was noticeably bigger than his index finger, making the heart look a bit lopsided.

I left the store with Jungkook and Taehyung. They were immediately bewildered to see police shoving an unconscious homeless man with undone pants into their vehicle. Biting my lip, I realized I should have come out earlier with them instead of thanking the others so much. The worker of the comic shop was loudly explaining what Dylan had told him. Only that the homeless man was a sexual predator. Jungkook and Taehyung were pale as they stared at me. Nope. I just want to go home. It's cold out here in my thin tights that now wore holes. I want to change my clothes.

One of the officers quietly stared at me as I walked off. He was suspicious, but I was tired. Jungkook and Taehyung quickly caught up with me. They were speaking to me in a very kind tone. Taehyung showered me in compliments while Jungkook was keeping his eyes peeled. He looked down every street and was ready to attack someone. As we made our way into Taehyung's neighborhood, I just hoped that this never had to be brought up again. All I want to do is focus on the contest and get ready to beat D-Crunch like we were before.

*~*~*

The little zoo has been taking an awfully long time. Even Yoongi and Seokjin had arrived an hour ago. Everyone has been waiting for them to properly start. Namjoon has been calling Taehyung nonstop. For some reason, his brother hasn't been picking up. It was alarming all of you. Seokjin called Jungkook and no response. Yoongi called Jungkook and the same thing happened. An automated voice mail was the only thing each of you heard. Hoseok's calls weren't going through to Jimin. You called each of the kids, but none of them were responding. It was eating at you that the something wrong could have happened.

It also didn't help that Seokjin was currently watching the news on Namjoon's television. They caught the creepy homeless man after another attempt to sexually harass someone. He was unsuccessful and this led to his capture. It happened near a comic book store that was relatively close to Jimin's dance studio according to Namjoon. Hoseok was growing anxious as the minutes on the clock passed. He mumbled things about how much of a pretty boy Jimin is. Yoongi instantly hit him for implying that Jimin could have been a victim. None of you wanted to think that on any of the boys. They were all so precious. It hurt you to think of any of them going through something like that.

That's when the front door opened. Seokjin turned off the television, jumping onto his feet. The rest of you were shoving your way towards the front door. Everyone halted in their tracks. Taehyung was completely wide eyed, Jimin hiding behind his friend. Jungkook was just as confused as them. Maybe all five of you coming at them must have been overwhelming. It's only because none of them having been picking up any of your calls! It's been stressing each of you out. Namjoon let out a heavy sigh of relief while Seokjin rushed to lift Jungkook into his arms. Though Jungkook wasn't a toddler anymore, Seokjin held him tight like a baby.

"Where were you!?" Seokjin gritted his teeth, more trying to hide the fact that he was near to tears than trying to scold them. "Why would you stay out so late and not pick up any of our calls!?"

"We had to turn them off during dance class. Jimin's teacher told us we're allowed to dance, but we can't have them out..." Jungkook admitted. "Sorry. We forgot to turn them back on and got distracted on the way back."

"Distracted how?" Namjoon looked the puppy over. Taehyung whined as Namjoon scratched off dried chocolate from his cheek.

"Ice cream!" Taehyung blushed, embarrassed. "Hyung! Not in front of my friends!"

"Seriously?" Namjoon narrowed his eyes on the blue hair. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Namjoon used to treat his little brother coldly. Those were the days when Taehyung begged every day to get some form of affection from his big brother. Nowadays, Taehyung wanted space from his brother as he grew. Jungkook was in the same boat, trying to escape Seokjin's bear hug. Yoongi was chuckling and acting like he was fine, but you saw him earlier. He was tense and refusing to speak to anyone. He was extremely worried too. Then Hoseok walked over to Jimin, furrowing his brows. The pink hair was wearing a long coat that belonged to Taehyung. Hoseok gently pulled Jimin over as he looked at him from head to toe.

"Everything okay, Jimin?" Hoseok rubbed circles into Jimin's smaller hands. The baby chick silently nodded his head. Instantly, Taehyung grabbed Jimin away from Hoseok.

"We'll be back. Jimin has to change out of his dance clothes." Taehyung tugged the male towards the stairs. Jimin hid his face in the collar of the jacket. The two scurried up the stairs which Hoseok found suspicious. You had to agree. Something in you didn't sit well either. Yoongi was leaning against the door frame to the kitchen. Once the two boys were gone, Yoongi pushed himself off. The red head made his way to Jungkook and looked him in the eyes.

"Distracted by ice cream for almost two hours after dance class ended?" Yoongi questioned. The others in the room began to look in Jungkook's direction. He became tense and flushed under all the attention. Jungkook swallowed hard and tugged at the collar of his shirt. Yoongi sighed, not wanting to intimidate the bunny. He tried again, attempting a smile. "Did you three end up where you weren't supposed to be?"

Again, the question made Jungkook sweat. It sounded like Yoongi knew the truth and wanted to hear it come from Jungkook himself. It also didn't help that Yoongi's tone remained dark and threatening. The maknae was acting too nervous at this point for any of you to shrug it off. He was hiding something. This time, the rest of you began crouching down a bit to get to his eye level. Anything so he wouldn't feel too intimidated and keep silent. If something bad happened, you guys wanted to know. If they messed around at the park on the way over, you wanted to hear that. They wouldn't get in trouble for being kids at this point.

"Kookie, can you speak to us?" Seokjin asked. Jungkook bit his lip, slowly shaking his head.

"What's wrong, Jungkookie? What happened?" Namjoon frowned.

"Is everything okay with Jimin?" Hoseok brought up. Jungkook froze at that, his jaw tightening. That's when all five of you knew something had gone truly wrong. Jimin looked a little jumpy and dirty.

"W-We bumped into members of D-Crunch is all..." Jungkook stared at the ground.

"You didn't answer the question, Jungkook," You said. He stiffened and held his breath.

"...it's not my place to say."

"What do you mean by that?" You grabbed his hand in hopes of comforting him. Jungkook quickly hugged you by the time you guys heard the stairs creak. The boys turned their heads to see Jimin and Taehyung coming down. Jimin was wearing the puppy's clothes, fidgeting in his spot. Now that he was in proper clothes, you noticed how red and puffy his eyes were. Taehyung wasn't saying anything as Jimin quietly muttered the truth at the highest step of the stairs. Slowly, everyone's eyes widened. Jimin's voice was shaky and barely audible. Taehyung wrapped his arms around his friend, snuggling into him for support. It wasn't long before Namjoon went up the stairs to hug him. Hoseok ran and Yoongi followed. All three of Jimin's hyungs consoled him and told him that they would be there for him.

Taehyung stared as his friend got embraced by the others. His eyes looked heartbroken. Almost as if Jimin's pain was his own. Namjoon asked if Jimin wanted to go home. You thought it would be best for him, but Jimin wanted to stay. He wanted to be with you guys and refused to leave. Hoseok then asked if he wanted to just hang out. Maybe eat some food or watch a movie, but Jimin wanted to practice. You felt your frown continue to sink. You understood that practice was important, but you didn't like how obsessed they were with it at times. Yoongi made sure Jimin understood that if he ever needed anyone to talk to, his hyungs were there. If he ever needed a second to step away from practice, all he had to do was say the word.

Jungkook buried his head deeper against your chest. He felt guilty. They weren't with Jimin and felt responsible even though it wasn't their fault. Petting the bunny's hair, you looked over at Seokjin. His face showed how furious he was. He's a teacher who takes care of kids almost every day. Their safety is his priority and it disgusted him on what someone attempted with someone as sweet as Jimin. There was nothing you guys could do. The maknae line of D-Crunch already handled most of the work. The homeless man had been caught by police and was going to be put away for a long time. You hope he rots in prison.

(Left to right: Jeongseung, Chanyoung, Dylan)


	43. Fight

Ch.43

There was one thing that all of you had to do. Last night, Jimin explained what happened to him. He was startled but doing a lot better. He's just glad that nothing truly awful occurred. That made returning back to practice full force a lot easier for him. A lot of you would have preferred him taking a break, but none of you wanted to tell Jimin how to cope. All of you would like to think that Jimin knew how to take care of himself the best. He seemed to be taking it a lot better than you thought. And it was all thanks to the maknaes of D-Crunch.

None of you could deny that fact. They protected him and got authorities called. With their quick reaction, Jimin was left safe and unharmed. They also comforted him after which you felt really got Jimin to relax. Jungkook and Taehyung felt guilty, but Jimin told them it was okay. He wanted to move on. That didn't mean that he wanted to forget their rival's actions. Jimin wanted to properly thank them without it feeling rushed. Namjoon and you looked at each other when Jimin said that. He had the right to thank them, but you guys would have to avoid their hyungs.

Hyunwook wasn't too much of a threat, but he wouldn't be too happy to see you guys around. Then last you checked, Sangchan was extremely upset. He's going to make sure that the others follow his example. They're slowly becoming more intimidating as the contest draws closer. The contest was very soon too. This was the last week before the real competition all begins. Next Saturday, your boys will most likely be showing no mercy towards the members of D-Crunch or the other groups participating in the contest.

It was almost hard to believe that the contest was so near. It was making you nervous. The other boys were excited, but also a ball of nerves which you completely understood. They wanted to focus everything into the contest. Bringing Jimin to his three heroes took time away from practice, but you guys were willing to make it happen. The plan was for Seokjin to take you and your friends to the Sehyun middle school. There you guys would pick up the zoo and go to the middle school that the maknaes of D-Crunch went to. No one knew what school they went to. The only thing you guys could run off was the uniform that the zoo has seen them wear. Based off the description, you knew the uniform too well as you had one shoved away deep in your own closet.

Hoseok was doing his best not to frown on the ride over. The two of you were too familiar with this area. While the others in the cramped car were minding their own business, you exchanged a glance with Hoseok. You thought he would be at least a teeny bit happier to come here, but no. The memories that came from this place weren't so great. The others in the car were so oblivious and you could understand why. Namjoon went to the same gifted middle school as his brother and the rest of the zoo. Yoongi used to live in another town and Seokjin hasn't been in middle school for years. Meanwhile Hoseok and you were getting unpleasant flashbacks to the time you guys hated life.

Well, you hated life. Hoseok was popular but had to deal with fake friends and the beginning of his mother's treatment. You have no idea how he thought of life then. Seokjin drove near the school, parking the car in front of the field rather than the office. Jimin hurriedly hopped out of the car before Namjoon could state some ground rules. The president was baffled as Taehyung and Jungkook chased after the baby chick. They left in such a rush that they didn't even close the door. Seokjin sighed, muttering to himself on how he should probably just buy a van if he's going to be giving seven other people rides all the time.

"You should! Sounds like a good investment." Yoongi reclined the passenger's seat. He adjusted himself, getting comfortable and ready to take a nap.

"H-Hey! Lift that up right now!" Namjoon tapped the chair repeatedly. His long legs were getting squished. Namjoon wanted to move but was inevitably trapped by his long limbs and lack of space thanks to Yoongi.

"Do you have a couple thousand dollars you can lend me?" Seokjin raised a brow at the delinquent.

"No." Yoongi sighed before scrunching his face. "Hey Namjoon, can you stop squirming around? I'm trying to sleep."

"Get off me!" Namjoon shouted.

"Suck. It. Up." Yoongi repeatedly lifted the chair only to crash back on Namjoon's legs.

"Don't break my seat!" Seokjin huffed.

"My legs!" Namjoon gritted his teeth, fighting Yoongi's body with his arm strength. He was trying his hardest to list the male's seat upwards. You didn't quite know what you were witnessing. Seokjin was yelling at them to stop messing around with his car and complaining how they already don't pay for gas. Namjoon just wanted to be able to use his legs and Yoongi was desperate for his fifth nap of the day. Namjoon grunted, close to making the seat sit up straight. Yoongi threatened Namjoon, claiming that if he made it straight then they would no longer be friends.

That's around the time where Hoseok tapped your shoulder. The chaos in the car was becoming a bit much. You stared at him as he opened the car door and nudged his head outside. You took that as an invite to leave. Based off what was going on, you took it immediately. If Namjoon manages to straighten Yoongi's seat, you didn't want to be there for that. As you guys were exiting the car, all three males stopped their nonsense to ask where you guys were going. Anywhere but this car. Hoseok and you started walking towards the campus with tight smiles. It didn't feel good to be back at all. There wasn't even a happy nostalgic feeling attached to this place.

"Gross. I hate it." You shivered.

"Me too." Hoseok nodded, taking a look around. "We've been gone for almost a year from this place."

"We should've been gone for much longer," You said to hear him laugh. He agreed, walking closer to the school's gates. That's where the zoo was standing. All three of them were keeping their eyes peeled for the three boys. Turning their heads left and right, going on their toes, and calling names. Each of them hoping for a familiar head to pop up from the crowd.

Jungkook and Taehyung could see how much this meant to Jimin. The small boy cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted 'Jeongseung' at the top of his lungs. The name Dylan and Chanyoung left his lips next. The baby chick refused to give up. He was making sure that he found at least one of them to thank before he returned to Seokjin's car. Students were walking by, judging Jimin for being so loud. Some glanced at him with scowls. All they saw was the uniform Jimin and his friends wore. They must have believed he was some rich and obnoxious boy. You know that's what you thought when you were in middle school.

There was also the reason that Jimin had pink hair. Last night, an officer at the scene commented that the victim was a young boy with pink hair. They wanted Jimin to testify to help give the homeless man a proper sentence. Jimin didn't want to participate in that though. Then with the idol competition next Saturday, this town has discovered that they have more than a handful of young boys with pink hair. That's how the contest was getting more exposure now with people ready to give sympathy views and votes. If Jimin admitted it was him, there would be more attention on him than he wanted and BTS would probably earn more votes out of pity than anything else.

"Chanyoung!!" Jimin shouted again.

"That's Chanyoung 'hyung' to you." He appeared in the crowd. He moved his black bangs out of his face as he walked over to the boy. "I'm in eighth grade while you're still one year under me."

"Call him 'Chanyoung-ssi' since he's our rival." Jungkook suggested. "We're not that close anyway."

"I guess you have a point." Chanyoung shrugged awkwardly. He didn't think he would get such a cold reaction from the maknae. Jimin shoved his elbow in Jungkook's ribs but kept smiling and ignored the bunny's painful grunt.

"Where are Jeongseung and Dylan?" Jimin questioned.

"We came here to thank you guys properly!" Taehyung chirped. Chanyoung's eyes widened in surprise, staring at them all in shock. His eyes soon travelled over to you and Hoseok as he gulped. He fidgeted in front of them, growing awkward by the second.

"Oh, that's not necessary..." Chanyoung bowed with a bright blush. He shook his head, attempting to wave the boys away. "Dylan and Jeongseung will be here soon though."

It was cute how awkward he was. You didn't understand why he was fumbling over his words though. Chanyoung must have been easily intimidated by Jungkook. He was avoiding looking at the boy who he beat at the dance battle. With a sigh, Hoseok grabbed Jungkook to make Chanyoung feel more comfortable. Jimin came here to thank him after all. Chanyoung stood with an orange blush cross his tan skin, giving a tight smile to Taehyung. The puppy found himself talking to the other dancer about the most random things. At this point, Taehyung was just telling him about his day and Chanyoung couldn't get him to stop. You smiled softly before turning to look down at Jimin. He was biting his lip, clearly wanting the two others to arrive. He wanted to thank all of them. Not just one.

You were about to put your hand on Jimin's shoulder. Something to comfort him or to give him hope. You didn't like the glum look on his cute chubby face. It vanished once a light voice called out to their hyung. Heads turned to see Dylan with a small pout. He stopped, bewildered to see so many of his rivals waiting for him. He didn't know if this was a trap. Right behind him was Jeongseung who must have been telling him a joke. The boy wouldn't stop laughing until he saw what Dylan was staring at. He became still, unsure of what to do. Luckily, Chanyoung motioned them over to let them know it was safe.

They inched their way over suspiciously. It was mainly Jungkook and Taehyung they had grudges against. For the most part, you doubt the younger members of D-Crunch cared for the elder ones of BTS. Jungkook remained silent this time once Hoseok smacked his shoulder. Something to tame the bunny. The puppy was a lot calmer, giving a friendly box smile towards his rivals. Jimin let out a relieved sigh to see all three of them in front of him. He was scared he wouldn't be able to thank them all today. He took a step closer to them, giving them all the biggest smile.

"I just wanted to thank all of you for saving me yesterday." Jimin bowed ninety degrees, staying down there as he continued to talk. Chanyoung's blush spread across his body, embarrassed as people walking by were pointing. Jeongseung glared at others to mind their own business, but Dylan kept his eyes on Jimin. "I can't thank all of you enough. I'm so grateful that you guys were there to protect me. Whether you were following us for negative purposes or not, I'm happy. Thank you for not ignoring the situation. It was brave of you guys to fight back for me."

"We couldn't just stand back." Jeongseung rubbed the back of his neck. His tone making it sound like it was the obvious thing to do. Not everyone is as brave though.

"I wish...I could have done more," Dylan admitted. Jeongseung and Chanyoung looked down at him, quietly nodding their heads. "We were frozen in the beginning and he managed to take you deeper into the alleyway...it still pisses me off."

"Believe me when I say you guys did enough." Jimin raised his head. He grinned and happily took Dylan's hands into his own. "Everything is okay now! Let's just worry about the contest."

"Really?" Chanyoung tilted his head. Dylan squeezed Jimin's small hands, a look of determination going across his face.

"You're on, Park Jimin! I'm glad you're doing better!" Dylan smirked. "That means my team will be able to go all out! There's no holding back!"

"I wouldn't want it any other way!" Jimin bounced.

"We're definitely going to pass the first round!" Taehyung threw his fist in the air.

"Better watch out!" Jungkook grinned.

"We practice a ton. We can do our songs in our sleep!" Jeongseung bragged.

"Yeah and its annoying!" Chanyoung added, receiving a light glare from his teammates. That wasn't quite what they wanted their rivals to know. You giggled to yourself until Hoseok tapped your arm. What? What's wrong? Everything was going so well. When you turned to stare at him, you didn't like the look on his face. He pointed in the direction of where Seokjin had parked his car. That's when you saw Hyunwook bringing Yoongi and Namjoon over by the collars of their uniforms. Hyunho was only watching Seokjin who was already intimidated. He didn't have to be dragged to walk forward. This wasn't good.

Chanyoung soon noticed their two eldest hyungs. He gasped as Jeongseung winced. The friendly competitive atmosphere was going to disappear very soon. Dylan frowned before pointing out that they had more company on their way. Everyone turned their heads to see the ninth graders marching their way over. Sangchan looked upset to have so many BTS members on his school campus. His face contrasted so much with the happier and brighter attitudes of Hyunoh and Minhyuk. Those two were pleasantly surprised to see you guys here. Then Hyunwoo was walking casually, excited to see a show take place.

"They got caught." You groaned.

"We shouldn't have left them alone." Hoseok shoved his hands in his pockets. Yoongi was growling, wanting Hyunwook to take his hands off him. Namjoon looked ashamed that he had to have his dongsaengs see him getting dragged over like this. Once Hyunwook stood in front of you guys, he shoved those two forward. You had to admit that Hyunwook was pretty brave. Yoongi looked ready to teach him a lesson for laying a hand on him. Hyunho pointed for Seokjin to stand next to the delinquent and he obliged without problems.

It was almost disappointing to see how easy it was to get Seokjin to comply. Hoseok sent him a sharp glare. That somehow earned him a defensive look from the teacher. One the read, 'look at me again and you'll never go to college' which was pretty ballsy considering he was obeying a tenth grader's simple commands right in front of you guys a few seconds ago. Hyunwook scoffed to see so many of you here. He crossed his arms by the time Sangchan finally showed up, his face no longer friendly like it had been in the past. With all members of D-Crunch here, you could see their vibe begin to change. All of them somehow making you guys feel like you were unwelcomed here despite the friendliness you guys had received earlier from their maknae line.

"Look at who I found. They were in a car acting like a bunch of idiots." Hyunwook sighed. Namjoon and Seokjin let their heads hang down with shame. Yoongi was the only one who left his head up, but he refused to make eye contact with anybody.

"What are you guys doing on our territory?" Sangchan questioned. "Trying to stalk us now too?"

"That's not it at all!" Hoseok sighed.

"Then what'd you come here for?" Hyunoh asked.

"Um...well..." Jimin looked down at his feet.

"I wanted to talk to Yeonjae!" Jungkook shouted. Everyone looked at the maknae, surprised at his little outburst. Hoseok pulled Jungkook closer to him in fear of the bunny possibly getting jumped. He couldn't really trust anyone at the moment. Jungkook bit his lip, almost as if he hadn't intended on saying those words exactly. It was the first thing that had popped up in his head to protect Jimin. The baby chick looked grateful towards his friend. While everyone was shocked, no one was as shocked as Dylan himself. The blonde blinked repeatedly before his face started heating up.

"I-I've told you a million times that I go by Dylan!" He huffed.

"Hold on! So...all eight of you came here because Jungkook wanted to talk to Dylan?" Hyunwoo questioned.

"...Seokjin oppa is our only ride." You grinned weakly.

"Where Seokjin goes, we all go!" Yoongi claimed.

"We're a tight group like that." Namjoon chuckled.

"They don't pay for gas." Seokjin suddenly blurted.

"Will you shut the hell up about that?" Yoongi scuffed his shoe. Automatically, Seokjin's eyes grew twice their size. His mouth opened wide, offended on the attack that Yoongi had just committed.

"As you can see, we're all practically like family." Taehyung raised his hands in hopes of distracting the D-Crunch members. You wanted to hit your face with the palm of your hand. Seokjin and Yoongi were bickering and trying so hard not to reveal that Seokjin was a teacher. Saying things like 'you won't be my favorite rapper if you keep this sh*t up' and 'you were a good vocal until you started talking instead of singing'. It was fair to say that things grew awkward extremely quick. Namjoon hissed at them to shut up since they would only listen to their leader at this point.

Jimin coughed as he looked at Dylan with hopeful eyes. Something to save you guys from this situation. It was clear that none of you were able to pull yourselves out it alone. Each attempt ended poorly. Jeongseung nudged Dylan not so subtly, his eyes telling the maknae to string up some lie. Chanyoung cleared his throat and nudged Dylan again. You almost felt bad to see Dylan getting elbowed near his face since he was noticeably shorter than the other two. He sighed and knew what he had to do as he looked over at his leader.

"Jungkook just wanted to tease me," Dylan said. At first, Jungkook paled at his words. All of you believed he threw you guys under the bus. "He wanted to start me up and be competitive about the competition is all."

"Oh? Adding more fuel to the fire?" Sangchan walked over to the bunny. He took small steps towards the brunette who stared up at him nervously. It was strange to witness. You could hear Hoseok gulp, his fingers digging deeper into Jungkook's shoulders. Seokjin was close to moving out of his spot, protective over the little bunny. Sangchan smirked as he made eye contact with Jungkook. "Finally. At least someone in your group is bold enough to start sh*t."

"Excuse me, what?" You blinked. That wasn't the response you were expecting at all.

"Haha, yeah! I start sh*t!" Jungkook cheered. He happily threw his fists in the air, glad he wasn't going to get harmed by a ninth grader.

"YAH!" Seokjin barked. Jungkook flinched, keeping his mouth shut. All the hyungs and you make sure the middle schoolers don't make a habit out of swearing. Even Yoongi and his mouth can be the most foul when he wants it to be. Jimin and Taehyung quietly snickered at their friend.

"I didn't know their maknae had it in him!" Minhyuk chuckled. "How cute!"

"Oh, you're cuter!" Hyunoh clapped his hands.

"Give us a pose, Minhyuk!" Hyunwoo cheered. Instantly, Minhyuk did a little bit of aegyo and Hyunho began laughing like you've never seen him.

"Oh my God..." Hyunho turned around, embarrassed by how strong his reaction was.

"Guys, we're getting distracted," Hyunwook reminded.

"It's fine!" Jeongseung shrugged, unbothered by his hyung's fierce glare.

"I-It's true! Jungkook said that he was going to crush us!" Chanyoung lied.

"I told him that I'd like to see him try!" Dylan balled his hands into fists. In that second, the members of D-Crunch moved to the right. They all moved so they could look at you guys while you pulled Yoongi and Namjoon over to the left. Bringing them close, you pursed your lips. Dylan helped you guys out with the lie. Now D-Crunch is feeling more competitive than ever which you're not quite sure is a good thing or not yet. Namjoon quickly collected himself together, moving himself to the center of his members. The rest of you stood behind him while across from him was Sangchan with his eight teammates standing behind him. Each of them having fire in their eyes.

"The contest is next Saturday and we're going to pass the first round. I can't say the same for you guys." Sangchan smirked. "But since I like the idea of battling you guys, I hope you make it the final round as us."

"To get all hopeful before we win it all," Hyunwook chimed in.

"It's cute how confident all of you are." Yoongi crossed his arms.

"I suggest not to let your ego's get in the way," Hoseok said.

"Or let it be your downfall. Either way, I have no problem with what you choose to do." Namjoon smirked, his dimples dipping in his cheeks. Seeing the dimples almost annoyed their rivals more.

"I think focusing on school is better for you guys. Testing should be coming up soon." Seokjin randomly stated. His hands rested on his hips and he sounded so old saying that. Normally, you don't like considering him old but...it showed. All of the D-Crunch members furrowed their brows before looking more aggravated than ever.

"With the schools we go to, there's no point." Hyunho glared.

"We'd get to be gas station attendants at best!" Hyunoh clicked his tongue.

"He almost sounded like a teacher." Jeongseung snorted. Seokjin blushed, shrinking and trying to hide behind the much shorter zoo. The maknaes were annoyed at how obvious he was. He almost blew his cover.

"This contest is our only shot." Minhyuk nodded at his words.

"And we're not going to waste it." Sangchan narrowed his eyes on Namjoon. "This is all our passion and hard work on the line. We're not going down easy."

"Good! Because I can say the same for BTS." You smiled. You knew where the rivals were coming from. If you had gone to the high school where all your old classmates went to, your future wouldn't look so bright either. That's why you worked hard to get into Sehwang. You know what hard work towards getting more chances in life is like. Wrapping your arms around the boys, your arms could only get around the rappers at most. D-Crunch gave all eight of you icy stares meanwhile you guys returned electrifying ones. Everyone was more pumped for the contest than ever before. It was time to take them down.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be happening until next Saturday. After the standoff, Seokjin drove you guys back to Namjoon's house. Yoongi and Hoseok immediately locked themselves in Namjoon's room to work on the final song. They didn't want Namjoon interrupting at all despite how badly he wanted to enter. The president was leaning against his bedroom door, begging for them to let him in. Then the vocals of the group were doing little exercises to improve their stamina and energy for performances. At the same time, they tried to sing. Jimin had Seokjin attempting some ballet moves and that was funny to watch for a couple minutes. While they all did that, you opened up your laptop and worked on emails with the contest.

The contest was already setting up profiles for the groups. People would be able to see the faces of the groups that were going to take on the stage. Little by little, you were filling in each member's profile. Stating simple facts about them as well as their specialty about what they bring to the team. You did notice that you were able to write more for the rappers compared to the vocals. You couldn't help it. They were your closest friends and you knew them much better than the others. That didn't mean you cared or appreciated for the vocals any less though. That would never be the case!

You spent a good hour handling business. That would be all for today. Leaning back in your chair, you stretched your body and let out a sigh. Good work for today! In the middle of your stretching, you heard Seokjin screaming. That's been happening every couple minutes now. It's always because of something the kids try putting him through. It's mainly due to Jimin who wants Seokjin to give him a better form. You could hear Jimin yelling at him to 'squeeze' and Seokjin crying out 'squeeze what!?'. It made you hesitant to check up on them, but you had to make sure they weren't killing him. Outside, Jimin forced Seokjin to go on relevé with his leg at passé. You mainly only knew these terms with how much the boys were repeating it. Jungkook was acting like a barre to give Seokjin balance and Taehyung was trying to adjust Seokjin's posture while Jimin judged.

Seokjin looks like he can handle it.

Heading towards the stairs, you figured you would tell the boys that you're going to be leaving soon. Your laptop was already packed up in your bag. Turning into the hallway, your eyes landed on a sad boy right away. Leaning against his bedroom door and mumbling how he wanted to be let in. His two friends who had locked him outside only ignored him and kept the music secret. Still, Namjoon tried his best to be a part of the process. Pressing his ear against the door and looking back at the notebook in his hands. A few lyrics were written down, but there were more scribbles than anything. You felt bad for the leader and crouched down to give him a smile. The second your feet appeared next to him, Namjoon slowly brought his head up to stare at you.

"Poor Joonie." You began to pet his blonde hair. The small pout on Namjoon's face began to turn into a shy smile. "They won't let you in?"

"I wrote some lyrics." Namjoon lifted his notebook. "I want to help, but they don't want me to."

"Well, that's not nice." You sighed. Namjoon's eyes watched you carefully as if you were his answer to his problem. He scooted away from the door with a big smile and sparkling eyes. Moments like these is when you knew he was definitely related to Taehyung. Facing the door, you knocked your knuckles against the door. From the inside, you heard the boys put everything to a halt. They were scrambling and there were hushed whispers.

"We're not letting you in, Namjoon!" Yoongi sighed.

"It's (F/n)!" You shouted. You could hear Hoseok chuckling and saying that he knew he heard your voice. Again, Yoongi's voice was low and you could barely catch his words. You assumed he was telling the popular boy that this was a trap. Namjoon was using you so you could enter. "Let me in! I'm going to be leaving and if you want your goodbye hug then you better let me in or else Namjoon gets all the hugs!"

There was suddenly a loud thud. It took you by surprise that it occurred the second your words finished leaving your mouth. Taking a step back, you looked at Namjoon in confusion. He didn't understand what was going on either. He only shrugged before looking back at his bedroom door. There was whining that you knew belonged to Hoseok and hissing that came from Yoongi. This time they didn't care to hide their volume whatsoever. It was beginning to make Namjoon nervous on what they were doing inside his room.

"Let me go!" Hoseok growled.

"You f*cking wimp! She's planning this to make you weak!" Yoongi pointed out.

"I want my hug!! (F/N)!!!" Hoseok yelled before screaming at Yoongi to stop kicking him. At this point, you weren't so sure you wanted to offer your hugs to them. They seemed to be hurting each other in there and you didn't want to deal with that. Is this stuff managers have to deal with? Pursing your lips, you turned to Namjoon and opened your arms wide. The boy blushed with a smile, but gladly took the chance to hug you. Namjoon squeezed you tighter when you giggled in his arms. That's when the door randomly burst open. Yoongi had been pushed onto the floor while Hoseok was flustered. He saw you hugging Namjoon and huffed. "No! Mine!" Hoseok pried you away from his friend, holding you like a teddy bear.

"Oh my god, Hoseok! What is wrong with you?" You asked, alarmed.

"We weren't done hugging." Namjoon crossed his arms.

"It looked done." Hoseok refused to let you leave him. Maybe you shouldn't have offered hugs. Sometimes the boys carry you and run for it. Back in the room, Yoongi got onto his feet. He looked extremely pissed off. Hopefully he doesn't kill his own teammate. Namjoon took a step back when the wine haired male ran to pull you away from the orange hair. Those two were playing tug-o-war with your arms. It didn't feel great, but at least Namjoon had the chance to sneak back into his room. He quietly slipped in, raising the headphones up to his ears. Namjoon would have been successful had he not tried taking a seat as his desk chair. The president just had to be clumsy.

"Oh hell no! Get him!" Yoongi let go of your arm. Hoseok's eyes widened in panic to see Namjoon close to pressing play. The blonde was fumbling around, but it was too late. The headphones were ripped from his head in an instant. Yoongi and Hoseok lifted him off the ground, pushing him towards his bed.

"Get lost, Scrub!" Hoseok frowned.

"So you guys aren't gonna fight over me anymore?" You asked.

"Let me listen to the music, god d*mn it!" Namjoon was starting to have a temper tantrum. Yoongi rolled his eyes, mumbling that he didn't want to deal with a big baby. Namjoon was rolling in his bed and kicking his legs. The sight was a little sad to see. Hoseok frowned as Namjoon pounded his fists into his mattress.

"I think we should let him listen to what we have so far..." Hoseok turned to Yoongi.

"You're. Weak," Yoongi said through gritted teeth.

"And you're mean." Hoseok pouted.

"Okay, okay. Namjoon, get up." You walked closer to the bed. If you got Namjoon to stop whining, maybe Yoongi and Hoseok wouldn't be bickering behind your back. It didn't help that Namjoon refused to listen though. He had rolled himself up in his blanket and covered his ears. A deep sigh left your lips to see him acting like this. He normally never acted like a complete child. Tugging at his blanket, you wanted to remind him that he's the leader of BTS. He currently wasn't setting the best example for his members. Soon Yoongi and Hoseok joined you in trying to get Namjoon out of his tight taco blanket. It would have been easier if he wasn't moving around like a fish out of water and yelping.

Unfortunately, his sounds of panic alerted a faithful puppy. The three of you froze to hear loud footsteps stomping their way towards Namjoon's door. Others were following after, addled by why the puppy had suddenly left them. Taehyung ran into the room to see his big brother glaring at his friends. It wasn't long before the rest of the members appeared behind him. Jungkook and Jimin didn't understand what was going on and honestly, you felt like you were in the same boat. Seokjin had his brows furrowed while shaking his head at the sight.

"Are you bullying my hyung!?" Taehyung barked protectively.

"Tae, it's not what—" Hoseok smiled.

"AAAH!!" Taehyung charged at him. Hoseok's eyes widened in shock as he was taken down. The two fell backwards, landing on top of Namjoon.

"You didn't help!" Namjoon grunted. Taehyung chuckled awkwardly sliding onto the floor while Hoseok groaned in pain, remaining still on his friend.

"Pillow fight!" Jimin clapped his hands excitedly. He ran to Namjoon's bed, jumping on it excitedly. Jungkook gasped and rushed to get a pillow as quick as he could.

"No! No pillow—!" Yoongi growled until he was knocked onto the bed, falling on top of Hoseok and Namjoon.

"Too slow, Hyung-nim!" Jungkook held the pillow above his head. Taehyung laughed and rushed to get a pillow.

"This is fun!" Jimin bounced off the bed with a pillow.

"You're all ruining my bed!" Namjoon shouted.

"Shush!" Taehyung pressed his pillow on his brother's face. Namjoon squirmed under his two friend's bodies, screaming into the pillow.

"DON'T KILL HIM!!" Seokjin rushed to grab the child but was too slow. Taehyung lifted the pillow to glare at the eldest hyung. In an instant, Jimin smashed his pillow against Seokjin's face. The teacher gasped before Jungkook took the final blow. With all the strength the bunny could muster, his pillow hit Seokjin's back. You winced at the sound the pillow made when hitting the male. Seokjin fell on top of the pile and muttered an apology to his students.

"We did well!" Jimin grinned.

"We won!" Taehyung cheered.

"No, not yet." Jungkook turned to look at you, a smirk growing on his face. Were they trying to take out all their hyungs and noona? You wished they didn't look at you. You were innocent! The way Jimin and Taehyung turned to face you made you pale.

"NOPE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" You ran out the door, almost slipping in the hallway.

"GET HER!!"

(Left to right, top to bottom: Jeongseung, Sangchan [O.V.], Chanyoung, Hyunwoo, Hyunho, Hyunoh, Dylan, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk)


	44. Principal Meeting

Ch.44

It was a miracle you survived the pillow war. You managed to grab all your things, shouting bye as you ran out of the house. Of course you felt bad for your teacher and friends, but there wasn't much you could do. At least it's the next day now. The boys are survivors as you see them sitting in your class. You didn't have time to discuss the aftermath with them since Seokjin was in an intense study mode. Testing would begin next week, the same week as the contest. That meant there was going to be a lot on your guy's plates and even the middle school students were going to start testing.

Though you knew Seokjin's job as a teacher meant he would help students with testing, this was different. Most of your teachers left it up to you guys to do your own studying. They handed you guys heavy study guides and expected everyone to do their best. Then there was Seokjin who was going through every single review problem with you guys. Thoroughly explaining and refreshing everyone's mind. Every day until the standardized tests start was going to be a study day with him. The main reason you believed he was doing so much was because he knew you and your friends wouldn't have time to study with the contest coming around. This was the only time that you guys could do it.

It's been a while since you've seen Seokjin as Mr. Kim. He stood at the front of the classroom, constantly referring to the textbook. He would write on the board as he lectured before facing you guys with questions. He made sure everyone was on the same page. Especially his three students that struggled the most. There were times when Mr. Kim would ask if Yoongi had any questions. Did Hoseok understand? Was he going too fast for you? It made you want to scream with how attentive he was to you guys, but at least you were going to get a good score at this rate.

When Mr. Kim focused on his job, he was incredibly attractive. His broad shoulders facing his class as he wrote equations on the board. It almost made you want to laugh. You've gotten so used to seeing him as Seokjin that your old crush on him feels like it was years ago. His rejection still embarrasses you, but you're just glad he doesn't bring it up. Biting your lip, you did your best not to laugh at the thoughts going on through your head. Your mind was currently anywhere but math. Not that you had too much of a problem with that.

"Did you get that, (F/n)?" Mr. Kim asked, his eyes landing on you. He was doing his best to hide a gentle tone. Instead, he came across as annoyed for the other students. You broke out of your thoughts as students looked back at you with tiny smirks. You could already hear a couple murmurs from obnoxious classmates who always gave you crap.

_'Bet she fails and leaves Sehwang'_

_'Can't believe she's lasted this long'_

You pursed your lips at that. These @ssholes will always see you as a public school rat no matter how hard you worked to get in here and stay here. Before you could give Mr. Kim an answer, he slammed his hand on his desk. A bunch of students flinched including you. His gaze was serious as he stared at his students.

"I didn't give any of you permission to talk. Only (F/n)." Mr. Kim adjusted the watch on his wrist. "Please be respectful."

Mr. Kim was intimidating when he had to be. He was warm most of the time, but he looked cold when he wasn't speaking to others. His handsome looks added to the unapproachable vibe he usually carried. He returned to teaching, the classroom now dead silent. Some students still had the nerve to give you an annoyed look. You really didn't understand what their problem was. They never gave Hoseok any of this type of behavior. Only because he was the golden boy so he was lucky. You got the raw end of the deal, but you tolerated it for the most part. Even though you so badly wanted to flip them off, you didn't want to get publicly scolded by Mr. Kim.

Next to you was Yoongi, annoyed with his classmates as usual. He had his legs kicked up on his desk with his notebook in his lap. Yoongi was doing a better job at following along. He wrote down anything Mr. Kim said just in case. Right now his pen was bleeding into his paper for how hard he was pressing the tip into it. His sharp eyes burned at every student who bothered to open their mouth to talk crap. Each of them shivered, afraid to get on Yoongi's bad side. None of them wanted to make the delinquent upset no matter how much they hated him. In the end, they knew full well that he could kick their @ss. And though he could, most of his fight rumors were thrown out of proportion and twisted to make him sound blood thirsty.

Yoongi has improved since good. He promised himself that he would stop fighting and would learn to control his temper. That was something he was doing really well until he snapped at Namjoon that one time. Also that one time he beat up Jungkook's bullies, but those guys had it coming. But now! Now Yoongi was taking this promise a lot more seriously. He's going to try to be calmer, more understanding, and filled with patience. Something to get him in less trouble because he can't keep getting grounded by his mom and causing issues due to the lack of control he had over his mouth.

"Uh, Mr. Kim, can you repeat that?" Hoseok lifted up his hand. He sat up in the front of the room next to Namjoon. Hoseok's seat was basically front and center.

"Of course, I can." Mr. Kim smiled as he started from the beginning.

Hoseok was used to being the center of attention. When he asked his question, no one was whispering behind his back about how he was a public school rat. Hoseok could have sworn he heard someone say 'fighting' towards him. He only smiled, doing his best to stay on track. Graduating from this school was as important to him as it was to you. He came here with a purpose and needed to see it all the way through to the end. Hoseok hated the idea of quitting. Even if learning math didn't always come easy to him, he was going to make sure he got the hang of this.

After all, he needed to put most of his energy in for the contest next Saturday. The first impression is important seeing as votes come in from viewers. Their performance needed to be the best. He'll focus on school when he's here and then outside of it is when he'll put all his energy towards the contest. Hoseok wanted to find the perfect balance despite it being hard. It was energy draining, especially with the added work that Yoongi wanted him to do. Hoseok had to help with making the final song come together and writing his rap. Something that was still fairly new to him, but as always, Hoseok wasn't going to give up.

"Can I give an announcement, Mr. Kim?" Namjoon already stood up from his seat. Male students were scoffing and most likely thinking 'here we go' in their heads. That's if seeing them roll their eyes wasn't enough. Girls were glaring in his direction, wanting to continue hearing Mr. Kim review instead of their class president.

"Go ahead, Class President." Mr. Kim took a seat. There was only five minutes of class left that would usually be considered free time. Review for testing will be continued next week until the actual test days which was Wednesday to Friday.

"I wanted to remind all of you about selecting your classes for next year as we are now heading into the spring season." Namjoon held up a stack of paper. He began passing them out, earning a couple grumbles.

"We still have two months of school left! Can't we worry about this later?"

"Take advantage of the time you have now. It's important," Namjoon stated. He knew how he wanted to run the classroom and wasn't going to take any suggestions. It would come off as strict to his classmates. They've all known him for a long time. They were familiar with his high grades and stiff personality that he showed when he was in charge. They simply didn't know the real Kim Namjoon, but they weren't worth showing the true side to.

Out of everyone, Namjoon had the most responsibilities piled on him. Not only did he have to keep his grades up, but he needed to perform all his tasks as class president. That included a multitude of things that sometimes took time after school. He used to tutor you guys which doesn't happen much anymore. Namjoon has taken his role of leader for BTS very seriously. He helps you a lot when handling the important business related to the contest. That involved signing contracts, keeping track of schedules, and such. He had to make sure the boys stayed on track and keep them motivated.

The only thing driving him crazy was the fact that Yoongi wasn't letting him listen to their final song. Namjoon had to do everything in his power to keep himself sane. Anytime he wrote lyrics, they were a bit jumbled and he never cared to continue with them. That's why Yoongi wasn't letting him listen to it. For now, Namjoon had to focus on winning the first round before Yoongi gave him a chance to listen to the demo. Namjoon bowed to his classmates after handing out all the papers. That's when an office assistant entered the room, handing Mr. Kim a blue paper slip.

"Let's see...Min Yoongi?" Mr. Kim lifted his head, raising the paper. The male next to you instantly furrowed his brows. "This says to see the principal."

"What?" Yoongi scoffed.

_'Is he finally getting expelled?'_

_'Good riddance'_

Sometimes you really wanted to hit people with your brick like textbooks. The bell rang with so many students leaving. The only ones to stay were you and your friends. Yoongi threw his backpack over his shoulder as he made his way over to Mr. Kim. Taking the paper from the teacher's hand, he read it over and over again. Hoseok stood up while Namjoon who had stayed standing in the front. You shoved everything in your backpack as fast as you could before rushing to join them. You were thinking the same thing as them. What would Principal Yoo want with Yoongi? Can't he just text him or speak to him at home?

"I'll skip." Yoongi ripped the paper.

"Min Yoongi." Mr. Kim sighed in the middle of wiping the board clean.

"What? What do you want, Mr. Kim?" Yoongi growled. That didn't sit well with Mr. Kim who took a breath in. As the contest drew closer and the testing environment grew stronger, things between the members have become tense. Mainly because of how stressful life was getting.

"Do you want detention?" Mr. Kim set down his marker. He walked up to Yoongi, their chests almost touching. A deep frown appeared on your face to see them acting like this. They usually get along so well.

"It's my personal problem." Yoongi kept a strong glare. "I don't get why you've been up our @sses lately!"

"Mr. Kim, please don't stress about us passing. We promise you that we'll do fine," Hoseok interrupted.

"We're all trying our hardest at everything. Let's not act up, okay Yoongi?" You chimed in. The two males looked over to stare at the both of you. Surely, they let out regretful sighs. They didn't mean to snap at one another like that.

"Keep a good head on your shoulders. I know it's a bit tough with everything going on, but there's no way we'll do well acting like this," Namjoon said. He put his hands on both members, smiling at them. "Teamwork makes the dreamwork."

"...yeah, sorry," Yoongi mumbled. He was more embarrassed than ashamed, but you could tell he still wasn't happy with the way he acted. "I keep acting like an angsty teen. Sh*t." He rubbed the back of his head, his slender fingers ruffling his dark wine hair. Namjoon relaxed to see Yoongi already apologizing. It's good that he wasn't putting up a fight or insisting he was in the right. Hoseok and you looked at each other with big grins. Then there was Seokjin who stared at Yoongi with a growing pout. His bottom lip was protruding out more and more. Yoongi soon noticed, uncomfortable with the way Seokjin was acting. That's when he was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Yoonie! I didn't mean to talk to you like that!" Seokjin sounding like he was close to tears. "You're my precious student! I want to talk to you and not shut you down by easily sending you to detention. I'm so sorry!"

"O-Okay. Can you let me g—?" Yoongi coughed.

"You're also my Kookie's savior and I'm still forever grateful!" Seokjin continued to crush Yoongi in his arms. "Yoonie, you know I love you, right? In a professional way, of course."

"F-F*ck off, old man." Yoongi was struggling to breathe.

"I won't take that response. Give me a new one." Seokjin laughed. "Come on! One I'll like!"

"Fine! God...y-you're my favorite teacher." Yoongi gasped as soon as he was released. He stumbled, struggling to regain his balance. Yoongi just let himself fall into Namjoon's desk that was at the front. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Seokjin was doing a lot better than him, a huge smile on his face.

"You just wanted Yoongi to admit that, didn't you?" Hoseok raised a brow.

"You better get going to your next class!" Seokjin chuckled, grabbing his cup of coffee.

"Why not just give us passing grades on the tests? That saves us all the trouble," Yoongi suggested.

"Is that even allowed—?" Namjoon began until you began clapping your hands.

"Yes! Come on, Seokjin! Just give us A's!" You bounced. Seokjin stopped drinking his coffee to stare at all of you in disappointment. Well, except for Namjoon who genuinely wanted to take the tests. Not because he found them fun. It was more for giving him an ego boost and proving to other's that he was the top student for a reason. For as much hate he gets for being intelligent, this was just his way of silently telling them that they'll never get his kinds of grades even if they tried. Namjoon wasn't innocent either.

"No."

There was instant whining from you, Hoseok, and Yoongi. If Seokjin passed you guys then there would be more focus put into the contest! Not to mention, he would have to grade three less students. That honestly sounded like a good deal to you. It gave the both of you guys a break. Seokjin stayed stubborn, sticking to his code of honor or whatever. Yoongi just made sure that the purple hair didn't go on a rant about how teaching is his true passion. No one was really in the mood for a life speech about the true meaning of being a teacher. Seokjin eventually tried kicking you guys out of his classroom, stating that the next period was going to be starting soon.

"I love you all but get lost." Seokjin grabbed each of you, pushing you all towards the door.

"Thanks a lot, Seokjin." Yoongi grunted.

"I trusted you!" Hoseok huffed.

"Why am I getting pushed?" You questioned.

"Oh! And before I forget, Namjoon, you have a meeting after school today. Class president stuff and you have to bring a student with you." Seokjin gave the boy an apologetic smile. "I'll see you at the meeting." Then the classroom door was shut. Namjoon sighed, frustrated that he was just barely told this information. He slowly turned around at the three of you with a hopeful smile. Who would be joining him? Hoseok was sweating, not wanting to participate. Yoongi had a dark expression on his face, telling Namjoon that it would not end well if he got chosen. You just showed a simple disinterest and Namjoon sighed.

"I'll text Taehyung to open the door for you guys. Pick him up at his school if you want." Namjoon looked over at Hoseok. "You'll be joining me."

"Joonie, whyyyy!?" Hoseok dropped his body dramatically onto the floor. He grabbed the president's leg, complaining about how boring it was last time. Namjoon blushed and tried escaping his hold. That wasn't really working out for him. Meanwhile Yoongi and you were relieved that you guys weren't chosen.

Yoongi and you eventually had to help get Hoseok off Namjoon. Hoseok was causing a scene in the middle of the hallway. You're just glad that no faculty member had to witness the mess. The second Namjoon was free, he sprinted away to his next class. All of you will be catching up at lunch. Hoseok turned to face you guys with a pout. Before he even had the chance to ask you guys to switch with him, Yoongi was walking away. His eyes then landed on yours, but it wasn't happening. You don't want to go to a boring meeting. Hoseok took a step towards you with a smile as he said your name sweetly. Nope. You slipped away, laughing as he yelled after you.

Hoseok sucked it up though. By the time it was lunch, all of you met at the usual spot. Yoongi was already seated in the windowsill. He sat patiently and smiled when Namjoon took a seat next to him. You didn't get to make food for him, so you would have to share. As always, you entered the line and heard someone cutting just so they could stand next to you. That's one thing you will never understand. Hoseok happily took a tray and stood next to you with a big smile. He's only standing next to you. Letting out a soft sigh, you couldn't help the smile forming on your face too. It was incredibly infectious with him nearby.

Grabbing the food you want, you quietly talked to Hoseok about the contest. Namjoon texted you that the school uniforms had arrived last night. You needed to make all the boys put them on and dance in them. Hopefully they find dancing in school uniforms comfortable. You also wish that their uniforms fit since getting them fixed this late was a stressful idea. You're just glad that you didn't have to worry about money when it came to buying the costumes. Seokjin pitched in a lot with his job. Jimin too since he helped his parents out at the convenience store. Taehyung and Namjoon also got a pretty generous allowance from their parents who were never around. Hoseok then made little attempts with street dancing. All he had to do was put a hat down then he would get a couple bucks. It wasn't much, but it helped. That made things a lot easier for you. Out of most things to worry for the contest, you could have sworn that money surely would have been one of them.

"I have your food, Yoongi!" You lifted his bag of chips. He straightened his posture, excited to have food. You handed him his chips as well as a tiny loaf of bread and yogurt. That was the most you could give him since you needed to eat too.

"I am always grateful." Yoongi grinned, opening his bag of chips. Hoseok sat down in front of the three of you. He always sat down on the floor since there wasn't enough room on the windowsill, but Hoseok has admitted that he likes being able to have you all in front of him.

"I already put on my uniform." Namjoon plucked off a grape from its vine. Instead of it coming off easily, it slipped from his fingers. The little fruit jumped and Hoseok opened his mouth. Yoongi clapped once the grape landed in the golden boy's mouth. "That was mine..."

"You still got a bunch of grapes. See!" Hoseok laughed, pointing to the rest he had.

"I want Hoseok's talent," Yoongi said with no real emotion. It wasn't until Hoseok called Yoongi his biggest fan that he began to laugh. You giggled as the conversation strayed away from the contest. It didn't matter too much. Sometimes the conversations that weren't related to school or the contest gave you guys a breather.

Things quickly got fun once Namjoon began to throw grapes at his friends. Yoongi and Hoseok were competing against each other. You were keeping tally to see which boy was able to get more grapes in his mouth. There was a lot more getting hit in the face with a grape and laughing until your stomach hurt though. Namjoon eventually ran out of grapes, but that didn't make the laughter stop. The last grape Namjoon threw hit Hoseok's forehead and bounced to smack itself against Yoongi's cheek. Both boys began to argue about the rules if eating a grape off the floor counted as a half point for effort or a full point for the gross aspect. You couldn't believe they were even considering it.

"Two points for being f*cking nasty." Yoongi suggested.

"No that makes no sense." Namjoon shook his head.

"It wouldn't be so nasty if you had just eaten it before the five second rule was up!" Hoseok complained.

"Sh*t." Yoongi groaned.

"Actually, the second the grape hits the floor it gets covered in bacteria—" Namjoon clarified.

"Well, it's too late anyway!" Yoongi huffed.

"I mean...you can always wipe it." Hoseok shrugged. Namjoon nodded at his idea even if it wasn't the best idea.

"But then would it be worth two points if you clean it?" Yoongi questioned.

"I think you guys should just leave the floor grapes alone," You said to see them all turn to you as if you said something wrong. What? What's wrong with what you said? These boys sometimes. You shook your head at them with a smile on your face. Even as they acted silly, you stared at them all with so much warmth. You're so happy they're your friends.

Yoongi laughed when Hoseok tried to force feed him a floor grape. He stopped thinking the two points were worth it and wanted out of the game. Namjoon was telling Hoseok to stop, but it was sort of hard to get his point across when he's laughing so much. You did most of the work in the end. Hoseok wasn't listening to the president who was struggling to put himself together. In the midst of all the laughter, a pair of feet appeared between Hoseok and Yoongi. Clean shoes and freshly pressed suit pants. The two boys noticed the legs and slowly looked up to see who they belonged to. Namjoon and you quit laughing in an instant. Hoseok coughed, becoming quiet at the sight of the man. Then there was Yoongi who stared up at him in distaste.

No one was too happy to see Principal Yoo. He always came when no one wanted to talk to him. The mood was always awkward and the only person who he wanted to see kept the same expression every time. Yoongi was beyond annoyed to see him here. Principal Yoo eyed his surroundings, noting the amount of grapes that were on the floor. Namjoon was blushing in embarrassment and regret. The principal sighed as he took a step back. The second he did, he lifted his foot to see he had accidentally squashed a grape under his shoe. It was Hoseok's turn to scream internally while Yoongi only snickered in response.

"Clean this all up." Principal Yoo huffed, his eyes landing on Yoongi. "And you. I sent a memo for you to come to my office, but you never did."

"Didn't feel like it." Yoongi picked a grape from the ground. He tossed it up and down in his hand, purposely driving the principal crazy.

"Well, it's important. Come to my office now," Principal Yoo demanded.

"How's this for an answer?" Yoongi threw the grape at his mom's husband. It hit Principal Yoo's cheek and Yoongi couldn't stop laughing. That wasn't the same reaction as his friends. You scooted closer to Namjoon out of fear. Hoseok kept his eyes down on the floor, unable to look anywhere else.

"That's it!" Principal Yoo grabbed Yoongi's arm, plucking him up from the floor. The redhead frowned at the man's actions.

"HEY! Let me go!" Yoongi yelled. Others in the cafeteria looked over, scoffing or giggling. You could already read the looks on their faces. Each of them hoping that the delinquent gets expelled for good. Yoongi struggled as hard as he could against the principal, but it did him no good. As soon as he was taken away, the cafeteria grew louder than you've ever heard it.

"...you think he'll be okay?" Hoseok frowned.

"Um...I'm not quite sure..." You bit your lip in worry. You doubt he'll get expelled, but still. You couldn't say anything for certain. Namjoon wrapped his arm around your shoulder as he rested his chin on your head.

"I'm positive things will be okay."

Yoongi's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This @sshole! His grip around my arm was tight. It felt like he was preventing any blood from flowing to my fingers. Growling, I was trying my best to make him let go of me. Who does he think he is? Can a principal even do this to one of their students? No. It's only because he thinks I'm his stepson and I'm anything but! I kept shouting for him to release me and he only ignored me to no one's surprise. Profanities left my mouth out of bad habit. Other students in the halls were looking at me like I was some circus show. My reputation as delinquent was beginning to get on my nerves the longer I stayed at this school. Even as he drags me away by force, they're all smirking like I deserve it. They wish the worst for me. I hate them.

My attempts to break free grew weaker. Though I didn't want to be near him, I figured getting this over with was for the best. What did he even want in the first place? And did he have to hold my arm so tightly? Myunghan continued to drag me with him as his fast pace. I tried not to stumble as he brought me towards his office. On the way there, I saw Seokjin leaving with fresh copies of paper in his hands. He had been smiling until he saw me. He blinked silently in shock as Myunghan finally let me go. I automatically groaned to rub my arm, but he yelled at me to hurry into his office. And he wonders why I hate him so much? I hate being told what to do. Especially by some stranger.

"Sir, excuse me—" Seokjin frowned.

"Not right now!" Myunghan made sure I stepped into his office. I did my best to ignore the burn and aching in my chest. A part of me wanted to scream at Myunghan, but another side of me was tired. I knew I could stand to be a little more understanding towards him, but it was a two way street. I let my body fall into a seat and did my best not to snap at him anymore. Not even when he yelled at Seokjin and that made my blood boil. Seokjin is a hundred times more understanding than Myunghan. He gets it and takes his time with me. He's patient and caring. He puts effort into keeping his friendship with me and made sure to gain my trust without rushing me at all. Glaring at the ground, I didn't realize I had tears forming in my eyes. D*mn it.

I wiped them away as best as I could with my uniform sleeve. I didn't want Myunghan to see me like this and get the idea that I needed his comfort. I'm fine protecting myself. Mom used to always work before he showed up. That's what I'm used to. There was no Dad in the picture for me. I learned how to tie my shoes by myself. I learned how to play basketball by myself and stand up to bullies. There was no Dad to help me throughout most of my life. This is my life. It was perfectly fine when it was just my Mom and me. Then he shows up, sweeping my Mom off her feet which felt so sudden. He focused so hard on his relationship with her and barely acknowledged me. Myunghan makes me feel like I'm just baggage attached to my Mom and that's it.

Myunghan closed his office door with a heavy sigh. His entire face was brightly colored from how upset he was. As he walked over to his chair, he ignored my deep gaze. Watching him like he was under a microscope. What exactly did he want from me? Everything would have been fine between us if he didn't try to act like something he wasn't. He's not my Dad. I'm not comfortable with that idea in the slightest. He's someone my Mom loves, but I don't care to have a deep connection with him. It's possible to coexist with each other without having this sudden forced relationship pressed on the both of us. It's so f*cking annoying. I'm the one who should decide my relationship with him. Not anyone else and certainly not a marriage certificate.

Though we sat in the same room, I felt such a strong separation from him. Someone who so many people wanted me to have a connection with. My aunts and uncles considering him family with open arms. Strangers on the streets calling him my father. My Mom telling me that Myunghan is a much better person to call my dad than my real one. Either way, I didn't want it. We sat in silence for the longest time. Lunch ended and class should have started. Myunghan was already emailing my teacher that I was with him for important business. Business that I didn't even know.

Myunghan eventually faced me, ready to talk. It took almost an hour for him to get ready. Narrowing my eyes on him, I wanted to hear something good. It better be worth my f*cking time.

"Yoongi...why do you make it so hard?" Myunghan stared at me with an exhausted expression. I wanted to throw something at him. It's not just my fault. No one listens to me.

I have f*cking feelings too.

"Because you like making it hard," I spat back. That didn't help my case at all. Earlier, I told myself to try to be civil and that was going out the window. Myunghan continued to sigh at me as if he was the mature person in the room. It was making me feel crazy.

Myunghan isn't a bad person. He makes mistakes just like everybody else, but I like to picture him as a bad guy at times. He takes most of my Mom's love and affection. It feels like he takes her away from me. She's no longer focused on me as much and I'm her son. It always feels like I have to fight for an ounce of what she used to give me before she met him. Things feel different and it's been this way for almost three years now. My feelings haven't changed in the slightest. Deep down, I know it's not right for me to hold onto these feelings. They're immature and selfish, but I can't help myself. I'm jealous. I want my Mom's full attention like I used to have. And though he's her source of happiness which is great for her, he's not my source of happiness. I have someone else in my life for that...

"I try to be good to you, Yoongi. I've tried giving you your space, being forward, being gentle—" He listed off. "—and now I'm being forceful. I'm not quite a fan of this tactic so I apologize for embarrassing you in front of everyone. I can see that, but I'm genuinely exhausted of this same fight we've been having for three years! I treat your Eomma right. I give the both of you a home to live in and give you whatever you want. I do my best to be as understanding as I can as an old guy could be to a teen and yet...it's never enough."

"Please. Don't play the victim." I tried not to ball my hands into fists. Stay calm. Myunghan furrowed his brows across from me. He probably felt like I was just some stubborn bratty @ss child. He's not wrong, but I didn't want him to pin all the blame on me. From the beginning, lots of people told him that he should become the father I always needed. I could tell he was uncomfortable since he's never had a child of his own. Even now, I could tell that he was just doing what he thought was right. We both don't want this forced relationship on us.

Back when I was younger, I remember wanting a father. Even now there are moments when I wish my real father hadn't left us. What if he actually wanted us? Loved us? I mainly only wanted it so Mom wouldn't have to work as hard. We could hang out more if there was someone else working too. Sometimes I just want that love and care from Mom. When I was a kid, rushing towards her in tears because I was scared of thunder. She would hold me all night until the storm went away. Now I don't go to her anymore when I'm a mess. I write down my feelings in songs and I call (F/n). I have (F/n).

"We can't play the 'perfect family' even if we try," I said. "Not every family has a father or a mother. Every family is different and can manage with love. I got that from Eomma. I don't need an Appa so please stop acting like you are one to me. I don't want Eomma telling me what you are to me."

"...then what am I to you?" Myunghan asked.

"You're her husband," I stated. "But that doesn't mean we have to be anything to each other. Coexisting is just fine with me."

"Are you sure you don't even want to become friends?" Myunghan frowned.

"For now, I don't need anything from you. All you need to do is love my Eomma and quit acting like you can be something you're not in my life." My gaze fell to the carpet floor again.

"I'm trying my best, Yoongi." Myunghan leaned forward in his seat to grab the picture frame on his desk. He turned it around for me to see. I shook my head, knowing it was the picture of his wedding day with my Mom. I was in the picture too like some weird family photo, but not actually family photo. I didn't want to be in the picture that day, but the photographer insisted. Then my Mom told me not to make her upset on her wedding day. She said it was the happiest day of her life. To me...I never cried so much in one day. I had vanished from the party for hours, crying under a tree and wishing things could go back. Back to when Mom would say the happiest day of her life was when she gave birth to me.

"I know you are...but I feel like I'm going f*cking insane any time we have this fight." I stood up, my legs feeling weak. "I want you and Eomma to listen to me for once. I have feelings too and I need time."

"But you've had three years." Myunghan slowly turned the photo around. "You're barely home nowadays. What's going on with you? At this point, I doubt you're studying..."

"I'm studying. Don't worry." I took in a deep breath. "But I need more time. You can't force someone to grow up. I need time to be complete and secure."

"...Yoongi?" Myunghan moved his hand off the yellow picture frame.

"Yes?"

"I'll talk with your Eomma if you want. About this." His eyes stayed on the desk. "I kept trying my way all these years, but it's about time I try yours."

"Oh..." I was taken aback. I bit my lip, nervous to how Mom would take this. Would she yell at me for making Myunghan give up? Or maybe Myunghan had a better chance of getting her to understand than me. Both hurt me equally. "Do as you want."

"One last thing, Yoongi." Myunghan stood up from his desk. He shoved his hands in his pockets as I glanced at the clock. The last class of the day should almost be over. The only time I wished I was in class already. I stared at him silently, giving him permission to speak. "Is it that...you don't want a father at all or you don't want me specifically to be your father?"

"Did you not hear me at all?" My brows knitted together. "I don't want one. This is nothing against you so don't get your feelings hurt over nothing."

"It's just with the way you act with Seokjin—"

"Excuse me?" I raised a brow at him in shock. It was getting on my nerves that he kept pressing about this, but then he brought up Seokjin. He's insecure about a teacher I have? I scoff as he cleared his throat. My heart was beating strangely. I just wanted to get out of here already. I've been too vulnerable in front of him and I don't think I can keep this tough face on me anymore. I've basically accepted that I'll never get my mother's full attention and that he's going to stay in my life. I was still a child, feeling upset that Myunghan won. "You don't have to be jealous of anyone."

I didn't let him say anything more. I just wanted to get to class. Opening his door, I slammed it shut as quick as I could. There's no way I'm going to let him follow me. Swallowing hard, I told myself that everything was going to be okay. Go find, (F/n). I should get to her class and wait for her. The bell is about to ring anyway. My face was feeling hot as I left the office doors. There were so many office administrators staring at me. What were they staring at? Tears were welling up in my eyes already and I was only a few feet away from his office. Why was I getting so emotional over this?

"I-It hurts..." I hiccupped, the tears leaving against my wishes. I sobbed like a child left on their first day of kindergarten. I wanted my Mom back. I wiped my face as best as I could, growing frustrated with the tears. They wouldn't stop coming and soon I felt arms wrap around me. Who was hugging me? Panicked, I stopped covering my eyes to notice the person hugging me had purple hair. "S-Seokjin?"

"I left my class early...are you okay?" Seokjin asked.

"No..." I cried harder. I bet I looked f*cking pathetic. The supposed 'delinquent' crying like a baby. It must have been a funny sight, but Seokjin wasn't laughing. He kept hugging me and pulled me away from the office. He had no idea what happened but got me to calm down. Seokjin didn't tell me what to think at all. The only thing he did was say that my feelings were valid and that it'll all pass. That made me feel better. We were in the bathroom and he cleaned up my face with toilet paper. I wanted to smack him, but he couldn't help it. Seokjin admitted that I was like an older version of Jungkook to him in a way.

That's when I realized why Seokjin was always so nice to me. Jungkook doesn't have a father either. Sniffling, I figured Seokjin was doing his best to help me cope. He must do the same with Jungkook. His mother works all the time like mine used to do. He used to be so lonely without any friends and getting bullied. Seokjin didn't know what to do, but now Jungkook is growing into a great boy. He has friends and so many amazing hyungs around him. He's doing just fine and hopefully won't have this crying fit in his life if his mom ever gets a boyfriend. Seokjin hugged me one last time before leaving. He had to go before the bell rang.

"Call me if you need anything." Seokjin squeezed me tight and gave me a little kiss on the head. I didn't have the energy to push him away. I just watched him leave, touching my head in confusion. Did he forget I'm not actually Jungkook?

I took a minute to take a breather. The second I got myself to toughen up again, I nodded to myself. I'm going to find (F/n) and we're going to walk to the middle school together. From there, I'm going to hug Jungkook for the longest time. That sounds good to me. Walking out of the bathroom, I see Namjoon standing there impatiently with his phone in his hands. He huffed as he looked around before noticing me. His eyes widened and I didn't like the smile that appeared on his face. He walked over to me, his dimples trying to charm me into saying yes to something I didn't want to do.

"Yoongi! What are you doing here?" Namjoon hugged me which was strange. He's usually not so affectionate.

"I took a sh*t. What do you want?" I glared at him.

"Aw, well you see...Hoseok is taking a while to get here and the meeting is starting super soon." Namjoon had his arm around my shoulder. There it was. I'm trapped. I shook my head as he led me towards the student council meeting room. NO!! "You're a student from our class. You should help me!"

"Better let me the f*ck go, Kim Namjoon!" I threatened.

"Gosh, I knew you would help me out." Namjoon laughed. "Aren't we the best of friends?"

"D*MN YOU."


	45. Misunderstood

Ch.45

To your surprise, Yoongi wasn't waiting for you outside of your classroom. He's usually there with his earphones in. You'd be lying if you said you weren't disappointed. At the same time, you were worried. He was pulled out of the cafeteria by Principal Yoo and it was worrying you a bunch. Namjoon and Hoseok didn't like how students were already gossiping about him getting expelled. If they only knew. Yoongi could never get expelled with his relationship to Myunghan. You doubt his mom would appreciate her husband kicking her son out of his school.

You took out your phone to send a text through the group chat. Before you could even type, Namjoon left a message that Hoseok was no longer needed for the meeting. He had Yoongi with him. Pausing in your steps, you were surprised that Yoongi would agree and volunteer himself. Did something happen with the principal? The group chat was soon flooded with emojis by Hoseok. There were a million of thumbs up and 'ok' hands. Despite the entire spam, Yoongi sent one middle finger. That got Hoseok to stop since that basically read 'I will kill you if you send more'. Sighing, you turned off the screen of your phone.

So this means Hoseok will be walking with you to the middle school. Hopefully he's waiting for you by the school gates. Tucking your phone away in your bag, you walked down the crowded halls. Most people were minding their own business. There was only one person who seemed like they were purposely waiting for you. An evil smirk grew on their face as you came closer. They were in your math class. They were always the first to gossip the second Yoongi or you did anything. It could be simple as breathing and they would complain about how you guys were inconsiderately taking all the oxygen in the world.

"I heard about that delinquent!" They laughed, joining you on the walk down the hall. You rolled your eyes at their presence. You really don't want them here with you right now. "I bet he's going to get expelled! Finally!"

"Can you just shut the hell up about things you know nothing about?" You scoffed.

"Oh, trust me. I know what happens to people like him." They snickered. "Just know, I hope you get expelled too. Have fun back at public—" They accidentally bumped into a chest. You quickly looked up to see a taller figure glaring down at the student. Slowly, your classmate lifted their head and their skin paled.

"Are you harassing Cha (F/n)?" Seokjin questioned.

"Er, Mr. Kim!"

"I have a meeting to attend, but don't think I don't have time to give you detention for your unacceptable behavior!" Seokjin grabbed their wrist. He began tugging them away, ranting about all the times he's seen them gossiping in class. You were stunned as the student dramatically whined about their record being smudged if they got detention and how no college will want them.

Well, you smiled to yourself. They certainly should have thought about that before acting like they were better than you and your friend. It took a lot out of you not to snicker at them for acting like an idiot. You're going to have to thank Seokjin later. He didn't always see the way students treated Yoongi and you, but he was seeing it more and more. At least the way Yoongi and you got treated was obvious. If people treated you the way they did with Namjoon, you would have to rip your hair out. You honestly don't know how he does it. People only hating him for the dumbest sh*t. You just want to protect your friends.

Marching out towards the gates, you spot the orange haired male in the distance. A smile formed on your face right away. All anger faded away once you laid eyes on him. It's good that Hoseok gets treated right. You skipped over to him as he waved goodbye to all the people waving at him. Hoseok saw you in the corner of his eyes, his smile growing into a huge bright grin. Sometimes it was hard to believe you ever hated him. First impressions, though trustworthy at times, don't always reveal the true character of a person. There are more than one side to people after all.

"I get to walk with you, (F/n)! Isn't that exciting?" Hoseok happily took your hand. A light blush spread across your cheeks to feel his fingers interlocking with yours.

"It came as a surprise. That's for sure," You said as he began gently swinging your hand back and forth.

The two of you began the walk over to Sehyun middle school academy. There was no rush to meet with the children. They always got out thirty minutes after you guys anyway. Hoseok and you had time to stroll. On the walk over, you remembered the last time you guys had to do this. That was back when things were still awkward between the two of you. Hoseok refused to look at you out of fear. The idea made you laugh now since he has no problem hugging you at random moments these days. He's always been a bit flirtatious with you, but you've never taken it seriously. You always told yourself not to anyway.

The one thing you remember clearly from that walk was how Hoseok told you that he hated his old friends too. Back in the day, he looked extremely close with them. He looked like he could have fit in with the fake crowd. Especially since you completely misunderstood him back then. Those were the days that you were poorly treated by your old friends. And when you believed Hoseok spread the news of his mother for sympathy and popularity. You've learned better now that you're friends with him. Squeezing Hoseok's hand, you made sure he kept that smile on his face. You're doing your best to take care of him for his mom.

Hoseok has no idea you made that promise and you intend to keep it that way. Besides, you added Namjoon and Yoongi to that promise anyway. Yoongi because he sucks at feeding himself properly and could always use more sleep. Namjoon because he tends to overwork himself and forget basic things to live. These boys seriously need your supervision at all times. Letting out a soft sigh, Hoseok and you cross the street towards Sehyun Academy. It wasn't a huge castle like the high school, but a lot bigger than your old middle school. You remember the zoo was staring at your old school as if it were an intriguing creature.

"I'll text Taehyung that we're here. The bell should be ringing soon anyway." You pulled your hand from Hoseok's. He pouted in disappointment, but let you type the message to the puppy. As soon as you sent it, the bell chimed across the campus.

Tons of little students began leaving their classrooms. A majority of them were a lot gigglier and happier than when they'll be when they get to high school. All your classmates seem dead and they mainly came from this middle school. Hoseok cooed at them, finding each one adorable. You kept your eyes peeled for the three boys that you found most adorable. It wasn't hard to spot them with their brightly colored hair. As soon as you spotted electrifying blue hair, you began bouncing for their attention. Taehyung started running over with a pink haired baby chick following right behind. Jungkook was chasing after them, waving at you with a big smile. All of them hugged the both of you and you did your best not to melt. The only thing that made you sad was how tall they were getting. Every day, they looked like they grew a couple centimeters taller.

"You're all getting too tall." You whined, ruffling their hair.

"I want to get taller!" Taehyung grinned, giggling at your pout. "I used to be at your chest, Noona! Now I'm at your chin!"

"I'm at her chin too!" Jungkook high fived the puppy. While the bunny and puppy cheered, Jimin measured himself nervously.

"I'm...a tiny bit taller than your shoulders." Jimin frowned. "I-I'm going to get a lot taller, Noona! I don't know why my growth isn't as big..."

"Aw, don't worry about it, Jimin." Hoseok brought the boy into a hug. "Just look at Yoongi! Not that tall, but taller than (F/n). Maybe you'll reach that!"

"I want to be taller than Taehyung AND Jungkook!" Jimin huffed.

"In your dreams!" Taehyung laughed.

"And in my nightmares." Jungkook shivered.

Shaking your head, you didn't even stop Jimin when he attempted to kick the bunny. Before they could have a fight in front of their school, Hoseok picked up Jimin. He wasn't going to have a fight break out right now. That was probably a good choice. Taehyung began leading the way to his house. The walk continued from here. After a minute, the baby chick had calmed down and no longer felt like hurting the bunny. Instead the boys easily began talking, unable to stay one topic. They quickly went from school, to the contest, to which hyung you belong with, and then to their rivals. All you know is that you were drained just from five minutes of walking with them.

Hoseok almost laughed at your expression during one specific topic of theirs. They're lucky you love them so much and that they're adorable to you. Though once they began to talk about their rivals, you finally realized something. You quit walking and Hoseok furrowed his brows at that. Grabbing his arm, you tugged him closer to you as the children kept walking forward. They didn't even realize that you guys stopped. All three of them casually continued their conversation, saying how they didn't know how to feel about their rivals. Befriend them or fight them.

"What's wrong?" Hoseok asked.

"We're not walking in the direction of Namjoon's house," You whispered. Hoseok looked around, gasping as it hit him. "Taehyung has been leading the way the entire time! We're going somewhere else!"

"How come I just noticed!?" Hoseok huffed.

"Because this route is familiar to us too!" You growled.

A deep frown began to form on the both of you. D*mn it, Taehyung. The two of you quickly caught up with annoyed expressions. You're a bit upset with yourself for barely finding out. The streets you guys were walking on were familiar, but in an unwelcoming way. Taehyung was taking all of you to your old middle school. After last time, you told yourself that you would never come back and yet here you were. Coming back only days after! Who does that? Jimin and Jungkook must have been in on this plan. They weren't questioning Taehyung as he turned the corner confidently.

You had to remind yourself that Taehyung was Namjoon's little brother. Something to stop you from shaking the puppy in the air and scolding him. As all of you turned the corner, there was your old middle school. It sat across the street and it looked like a complete downgrade compared to Sehyun Private Academy the boys went to. Staring down at the zoo, you saw their clean and presentable uniforms. Navy blue and white. Then the students leaving this middle school wore black with a dark green. Pursing your lips, you noted in your head to burn the old uniform you owned.

The young boys stayed in their place. None of them bothered walking up to the gate to look for their rivals. Hoseok questioned why you guys came here in the first place, but none of them answered. Their expressions were oddly serious as they stared at the school. It was run down and it definitely needed remodeling. So many students went there and you remember all your classes being cramped. There would barely be room to walk between desks. Teachers struggled to teach their over filling classrooms, students were problematic, and the entire experience was a torture.

"I heard from hyung that you guys went here. Is that true?" Taehyung asked, slowly looking over his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's true." Hoseok sighed.

"Do you guys want to talk to your rivals or something?" You questioned.

"Not really..." Jimin shook his head. "We just wanted to know more about them."

"Just from watching?" You raised a brow.

"Right there! See!" Jungkook pointed his finger. He caught his friend's attention, all of them narrowing their eyes. Hoseok and you followed what they were looking at to see Sangchan holding a big bag. The rest of his members who weren't Hyunwook or Hyunho crowded around him. One by one, he handed them bags of rice pops. As soon as all of them had at least two bags, they ran into the road that was busy with parents trying to pick up their kids. All of the D-Crunch members were shouting the price of their rice pops in hopes of selling them. Some parents bothered to pay while others only honked at them to get lost. "I told you guys that I saw them doing this last time."

"What are they doing?" Jimin looked up at Hoseok.

"Raising money," Hoseok stated.

"Rice pops! It's for a good cause!" Hyunoh shouted, smiling despite getting flipped off by rude seventh graders.

"Y-Yes, I have change! Thank you so much!" Chanyoung handed them the bag and proceeded to fumble with his pouch containing money. You watched to see them holding up their rice pops high up in the air. Minhyuk pulled Jeongseung back when a car moved forward carelessly. Sangchan sat near the gate of the school with the rest of the rice pops. He was trying to get the attention of students leaving the school or ready to supply others like Hyunwoo who had successfully sold his two.

"Do any of you have money?" Taehyung asked.

"I think I do..." Jimin patted his pockets. Once he pulled out a couple crumbled bills, Jungkook snatched it from his hand. With one hand waving the money in the air, he cupped the other around his mouth.

"One rice pop over here!!" Jungkook shouted, going on his toes just so he would be noticed. Hoseok and you blinked at what was going on. While most of them were trying to catch the attention of others or not get hit by a car, one member instantly turned their head to face Jungkook.

Dylan's eyes widened to see Jungkook calling him over. The bunny nodded his head, continuing to hold up his money to show he wasn't lying. Dylan was reluctant as he walked over and you couldn't blame him. He must have felt like Jungkook was buying one out of pity. No rival would want that. You watched Dylan waddle over, making sure to look both ways before crossing the street. Their maknae was extremely baby faced that you would think he was in elementary school. He was like a little duckling as he stood in front of you guys, afraid now that he's left his members.

"Just one rice pop?" Dylan held his bag tightly.

"Yep! Here's the money!" Jungkook held it out. Dylan only stared at the money, his hand never coming out to grab it. Jungkook sighed as he began waving it around. Dylan frowned, glancing at you and you quickly took the money away from Jungkook. The bunny was confused at first, but Hoseok pulled him back to quietly explain how what he was doing was disrespectful.

"Can I have one, Dylan?" You smiled at him. Dylan looked between you and the money a couple times like he was thinking it out in his head. After a couple seconds, he handed you the bag and took the money. "You can keep the change. I'll pay Jimin back."

"Huh?" Dylan lifted his head in shock. His hand was rummaging around his money pouch until you said that. "That was Jimin's money?"

"It's okay! Keep the change!" Jimin insisted. "Noona doesn't have to pay me either! I have a job!" He gave a cheeky smile. Maybe you should get a job after the contest passes.

"Are you sure?" Dylan pursed his lips. Taehyung ran up to you, stealing the rice pop from your hands.

"Positive!" Taehyung happily began opening the bag.

"Do you guys often sell after school?" Hoseok asked with a friendly tone. Dylan looked ready to run at any second. You almost didn't understand why he was so scared. You could understand the lack of trust, but you hoped he didn't believe you guys would cause him any harm.

"Yeah...it's for the contest," Dylan mumbled. He carefully lifted his second bag of rice pop into his arms. He mainly stared at you and Hoseok instead of the zoo who were eyeing him. Whenever he did glance at them, it would land on Jimin the longest. "We have to raise money for our costumes."

"Oh really? That's so cool to see you all working together!" Hoseok grinned.

"Where are your two hyungs?" You tilted your head. By that, you meant that Hyunho and Hyunwook weren't around. Jimin took that differently as he quickly narrowed his eyes on you. He gave a big pout as if you were betraying him.

"They're the ones who make the rice pops. Since a majority of us our in middle school, we all team up to sell while they make," Dylan stated, holding his bag up. He was finally starting to smile in front of you guys. He excitedly pointed out aspects he liked about the bag. "See! Isn't the packaging pretty? Hyunwook hyung likes to buy the mil bags with flower designs! Hyunho hyung also does this cool trick with scissors where he makes the paper ribbon curly!"

"I see that. It's really catches the eye and makes it look super cute." You smiled to see him bouncing. He got so happy talking about his hyungs and their hard work. He's really not all that different from your own boys.

"I'm tired of hearing about Hyunho!" Jimin crossed his arms. Dylan froze when he heard that. He faced Jimin with a hurt expression that quickly turned into a glare. A face to protect himself.

"You call him sunbaenim or use -ssi! Don't talk about him so casually!" Dylan shouted.

"Jimin, what's your problem?" Taehyung mumbled, pulling the boy back.

"We don't want to start any fights, Yeonjae—" Jungkook started to get cut off immediately.

"I've told you and I'm sick of telling you! We're not close so call me Dylan!" He stomped his foot. You instantly felt bad, wanting to comfort Dylan. The only thing was that you barely knew him. He opened his money pouch and tossed the change at Jimin's face. "I don't need your stupid money or your sympathy! My hyungs and I work hard to get half of what you guys get!"

"What do you mean by that?" Hoseok frowned.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dylan looked like he was holding back tears. "We don't go to fancy academies like you guys! We're not incredibly intelligent or rich like you guys! This contest is our only chance to break free from all this so screw all of you stuckup snobs!" He turned around, running into the street without a care.

"Dylan! Be careful!" You screamed in panic.

Luckily, Dylan had safely crossed the street. He made it to the other side and was already breaking out into tears. Your heart ached at the sight and Jimin was feeling bad. He admitted he was wrong, earning a sigh from the rest of the boys while you kept your eye on Dylan. The first one to notice him crying was Hyunoh. He rushed over the blonde in worry, hugging him after Dylan refused to tell him anything. Since he was crying so much, Hyunoh sent Dylan to just stand next to Sangchan. As their maknae walked off, the rest of the members noticed. All of them looked hurt as if they shared the same pain Dylan was showing.

"Come on. We've been here long enough." Hoseok began lightly pushing the zoo forward. This time in the direction of Namjoon's home. "There's nothing to see."

Jimin let guilt eat him up instantly. It engulfed him whole and now he was crying himself too. He didn't mean to be so disrespectful. He acknowledged that he acted childishly and now he wanted to tell Dylan he was sorry. After all, Dylan was the reason authority was called to arrest the homeless man. Hoseok sighed, doing his best to comfort the baby chick. He'll get to apologize another time. For now, he would only make things worse with how defensive Dylan can get. He's always ready to fight back. It's best to leave him alone and not say anything. Taehyung gave Jimin a rice pop as well as Jungkook. Only Hoseok and you declined eating one.

You didn't feel so hungry. The look on Dylan's face really made any chance of you eating vanish. It didn't feel good how he shut you guys down from the second Jimin snapped. You had to tell Jimin that you weren't trying to learn more about Hyunho over some crush. All you wanted to do was make Dylan feel comfortable. Somehow learning that made Jimin cry even more. It was really hard to get him to stop. Hoseok did his best to get the baby chick smiling again. By the time you guys reached the house, Jimin had finally stopped crying. Taehyung opened the door with an empty bag of rice pops.

Jimin wiped his nose with the sleeve of his uniform. He sniffled and Taehyung told the boy to cheer up already. You closed the front door as Hoseok patted Jimin's chubby cheeks. He told the boy to clean himself up in the bathroom and warm up with the others. Today was going to be a major dance review of Boy In Luv. Jimin nodded his head, rushing to the bathroom. Taehyung and Jungkook followed right away while you dragged your feet towards Namjoon's kitchen. Hoseok noticed and trailed behind you with a gentle pout.

"Do you need cheering up too?" Hoseok asked as he stepped through the open door frame.

"I just...I feel so bad." You let your body fall into a wooden seat. Right away, you leaned back to stare up at the ceiling. "I find Hyunho attractive and Jimin insists on me ending up with you. Somehow that all ended with Dylan crying like...I just feel bad."

"Well, I'm assuming right now is a bad time to feel jealous of Hyunho." Hoseok chuckled. Bringing your head down to stare at him blankly, he only shook his head as he sat down. "Sorry, bad timing."

"...but it's not even that." You began to rest your arms on the table. "Dylan said that we didn't struggle or have to work as hard. What does that even mean? You guys work so hard—"

"Yes, but it's not like we have to sell rice pops out in the streets." Hoseok shrugged.

"That's true, but it's not like we're rich. You and I used to go to their school. We're not super smart or anything. We're not..." You frowned at the feeling of being misunderstood. Hoseok placed his hand on yours, lightly patting it.

"He doesn't know that. All he sees is our uniforms," Hoseok said. "Back when we were in middle, we all hated the kids from the private schools too. Remember?"

"Yeah." You chuckled at the memory.

"We're not rich, but they don't know that. We had to work hard to get into Sehwang and I get where you're coming from." Hoseok smiled. "But we'd both be lying if we said we had the same struggles as the members of D-Crunch. We do have a bit of privilege compared to them."

"...that's so weird to think about," You mumbled. Hoseok nodded to your words as the both of you looked back at your years in middle school. Just last year, you went to their same school. You probably didn't know any of them back then because of how cramped the school was. And for the fact that you didn't mingle with different grades unless you actively tried. Just a year ago, you were in ninth grade so that meant Hyunwook and Hyunho must have been in your grade. How did you not recognize them or know them? Sangchan, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, and Hyunoh should've been in eighth grade with Chanyoung in seventh. Then their three youngest were in elementary school. Honestly, anytime you look back middle was a blur and your biggest memories were the hurt your 'friends' left you with.

*~*

_Staring at your playlist, you had just finished it last night. It was the best thing ever! You watched the movie version of Phantom of the Opera and you were obsessed. Ever since then, you've been creating the perfect playlist. It was a mix of you creating your own soundtrack for the movie and adding songs that reminded you of the characters. It was just something you did for fun. All you did was really listen to music, so this gave you something to do. It was a lot better than having to deal with the real world. Your eyes were always fixated on the screen. If you're lucky, you'll stay unbothered._

_But there were times you weren't so lucky. Those times were unfortunately often. To be fair, you chose a bad time to focus on your phone. The middle school was having a little carnival of their own to raise money. They were hoping to buy new desks for next year since a lot of them were utter crap. Of course, they decided to get new desks in your last year. Whatever. You're done with this school and your patience with your friends was slowly leaving you. Another thing on your mind lately was Sehwang entrance exams. Mom casually mentioned it in a conversation and you haven't been able to get it off your mind. There's no way you'd get in, but if you could—_

_"Can you not f*cking hear!?" Gayoon ripped your earphone out from your ear. It took you by surprise at first. She did that so roughly that your heart was close to beating out of your chest. Gayoon scowled as she stole your phone, hiding it behind her back._

_"We're here to have fun! That's why we invited you!" Mijung scoffed._

_"Give me her phone!" Yihwa snickered. She motioned for Gayoon to give it while your eyes widened._

_"Hey, give that back!" You tried reaching for it only to have Mijung tease you. She raised her elbow and pretended to hit your face. Once you gave her your typical reaction which was flinching and freezing, she laughed it off. Your friends always liked to tease you and make you the butt of their joke. You attempted to laugh with Mijung, but it wasn't funny. It didn't feel good at all to laugh._

_"You'll get this back AFTER you go into the haunted house!" Yihwa waved your phone in front of your eyes. By now, you knew better than to grab for it again. That didn't end well last time at the arcade._

_"Haunted house?" You frowned. "I don't really want to go in there though..."_

_"Haunted house or confess to one of your crushes. You have like a thousand." Yihwa laughed. "I'm sure one is bound to say yes."_

_"N-No!" You shook your head. Confessing to your crushes? You stared at the ground, regretting the fact that you ever told them your crushes. They always joked around that you had a new one every week and would tease you heavily around the guy. Sometimes they would shout to random guys that you liked them when you didn't. "I'm not doing either of those! Especially the haunted house!"_

_"Why not? You have three tickets left so use it for the haunted house. I don't see the problem." Mijung shrugged as you bit your lip. Gayoon rolled her eyes, growing extremely annoyed with you. At this point, you don't understand why they bothered to befriend you. They were fairly popular and then you were just the accessory. That's what it felt like. You wouldn't consider yourself popular at all. "Or what? Were you going to use them on something else?"_

_"Actually, I was," You stated to see Yihwa narrow her eyes coldly on you. "I wanted to play the ring toss that has Hello Kitty plushies as the prize. She's really cute so—"_

_"Cute? Are you five?" Yihwa asked. Quickly, you shut your mouth. Anytime you mentioned your interest in cute things, they snapped for no reason. You didn't understand why they would try so hard to act dark and tough. They always wanted to party or drink when they're underaged. That never really got your attention though. Maybe you were boring, but you just wanted to have a Hello Kitty plushie._

_"She's just joking. Right, (F/n)?" Gayoon locked her arm around yours. Staring at her, you soon looked at your two other friends. She whispered under her breath to you, "Say yes. I'm saving you."_

_"Y-Yeah! I was just kidding..." You felt your heart sink. Gayoon dragged you towards the haunted house. Mijung and Yihwa were making sure you weren't going to bail on them. This felt twisted, but you suppose there was no other way. You wanted to get your phone back and just go home now. The only thing that sucked was the fact that there was no line for the haunted house. You were hoping for some kind of wait. The girls all held onto you as they handed their tickets to the person in charge. Your brows jumped at that, not expecting them to join you. "You guys are coming with?"_

_"Of course! We all wanted to go together!" Mijung said._

_"Why do you think we invited you? To just let you stand around and do nothing?" Gayoon laughed._

_"Come on, (F/n). You should trust us more." Yihwa giggled as the four of you entered the building. There was light until the door behind the all of you was randomly shut. The girls were squealing, excited to get scared while you weren't feeling the same joy. Something like Sanrio Puroland was more your style._

_Swallowing hard, you did your best to keep your sanity. You felt your legs grow light as you guys stepped further through the maze that was set up. So far, there were only scary decorations. A lot of blood and random fake body parts. The girls were talking about what to eat later while you just wanted to get out of here. This wasn't fun. Turning the corner, a ghoul jumped out to scare all of you. The girls flinched while you let out a loud scream. It wasn't funny at all. The ghoul hid away as you clutched your heart nervously. Yihwa found your reaction hilarious and Mijung wanted more. That's how Gayoon pushed you in front to get the jump scares up close._

_Now your heart was starting to race wildly. Biting your lip, you told yourself not to cry. Not with them around to see you. All they do is act like the victim and say you're making them feel guilty. Taking in a deep breath, you did your best to continue through the dark room. Entering a small room, your breathing quickened to see a girl standing in the middle. She looked like the girl from the ring. Was she going to do anything or just stand there? Slowly moving forward, your eyes never left her as she wept to herself. Behind you, Gayoon was growing impatient with your slow pace._

_"Move!" She pushed you forward. At that point, the ghost like girl started screeching as if she was being murdered. She ran towards your group of friends and you ran. You ran without thinking. The girls only laughed harder as they caught up with you. Soon you saw the exit door and you were growing relieved. All of you can finally leave and have this over with. That's what you wanted so badly to believe._

_Yihwa pushed you towards Mijung as she bolted towards the exit. Stumbling over your feet, you needed to regain your balance so you could get out of here. Mijung didn't help you and purposely tripped you. Her and Gayoon ran through the open door Yihwa was holding. Groaning, you didn't want to focus on the pain your knees had. Why would they trip you? Your eyes widened to hear the scream getting louder. Was the girl following you? No, no, no! You stood up and ran towards the exit. The second Yihwa saw you running, she shut the door in your face. Your body collided with the door and you could tell all three of them were keeping it shut together._

_"Open the door! Open the door!!" You pounded your fists against the exit. Tears were streaming down your cheeks. The girls only laughed as you begged for them to let you out. It was too dark and cold in here. The scream's echoes felt like they were getting louder too. "PLEASE! OPEN THE DOOR!!" You did you best to push it open yourself. That's when they finally opened it and you fell forward._

_"Oh my God, (F/n)! You're hilarious!" Mijung clapped her hands like this was some cute joke. You blinked your eyes, not allowing anymore tears to come out. You didn't want to cry in front of them. Wiping your hands on your pants, you quickly tried to clean your face without them seeing and with your luck...you were unsuccessful._

_"Wait, are you crying?" Gayoon forced you to look at her. "Seriously? You're crying?"_

_"I told you I didn't want to go!" You shouted._

_"I don't get why you're such a whiny b*tch! It's all fake anyway!" Yihwa stared at you in disgust. Just the way she scrunched her face made you want to hit her._

_"F*ck off!" You took your phone back and pushed her away from you. She scoffed, shocked that you would physically touch her like that. Your friends were used to the lack of control you had over your mouth. You would say what was on your mind when you had enough. That didn't mean they liked it though. Mijung pulled your hair and you winced. "Let me go! B*tch!"_

_"We invite you because we want to hang out and have fun! All you do is kill the mood!" Gayoon shouted as your hair was released. Panting, you stared at all of them like you were alone. It was so lonely. "We try so hard to be your friend! You're literally lucky that we even try in the first place! You wouldn't have friends otherwise! Do you know that?"_

_"...I..." You pursed your lips._

_"I can't hear you!" Gayoon growled._

_"I know." You took in a shaky breath. Once you pleased the girls, they all smiled at you. Smiles that were friendly yet underneath there was something darker. The three of them started talking about what to do next as you looked around the area. A way to escape. As you looked around, you accidentally made eye contact with a guy who was pretty popular at your school. You didn't care too much about him until a rumor began spreading. His mother was dying and only had one year to live. You felt bad, only to discover that he was the one who spread it in the first place. Absolutely pathetic. Hoseok was surrounded by his friends as he waved at you. As soon as he opened his mouth, you angrily turned around. You hate everyone here._

*~*

Those were all just awful memories. Shaking your head, you let your eyes travel over to Hoseok. He was staring out through the open door of the living room. The three kids were running out in a much brighter attitude. He smiled at them at them. In that second, the front door opened. Seokjin was marching in, stating how one day we should all just study for tests. Namjoon said it could be a good idea but Yoongi was telling the teacher to get lost. You giggled to yourself, noting that there was no ill intent behind Yoongi's words. Seokjin went to the kids meanwhile Namjoon and Yoongi entered the kitchen to see you and Hoseok.

"How was the meeting?" Hoseok asked.

"Boring as sh*t." Yoongi opened a cookie jar, stuffing his mouth full.

"It was insightful!" Namjoon sighed. "Though I agree, not the most thrilling, it still—"

"I don't know how you tolerate it. I was ready to throw myself off the school roof." Yoongi plopped himself down in a seat.

"Don't you always feel that way?" Hoseok tilted his head.

"Yeah, but it was different this time. There's levels." Yoongi pointed out.

"Why are there levels?" Namjoon furrowed his brows.

While they all spoke nonsense, you laughed to yourself silently. They're your true friends now. Friends you thought you would never get in your entire life. All of them are so different from one another, but they mean so much to you. You wouldn't change them for anything in the world. Your friendship with them is the most precious thing in the world. You love them all so much. Bringing your hands up to your face, you stared at them all with a huge smile. They're all just a bunch of goofballs and it makes your heart swell. You stared at each of them warmly even as they talked about the strangest of things together.

"Alright, let's just get to practicing already!" You clapped your hands. They all stopped to stare at you and began to grin.

"Yes, Manager-nim!"

(Dylan)


	46. Promoting

Ch.46

Everyone was begging for mercy at this point. You felt like this was a cruel and unusual punishment given to you and the rest of the kids. Seokjin was the eldest who considered you and your friends children along with the zoo. The main reason you were going crazy was because you wanted to focus on the contest. Days have passed and it was now Thursday. The date of the contest was extremely close now. It was literally this Saturday and all of you were a bundle of nerves! There were so many things to get done yet Seokjin decided to be mean! He brought all of you to Namjoon's house and finally abused his powers as the eldest and as a teacher.

Practice had now turned into an extreme study session. You had no idea why Seokjin was doing this. Well, actually you did. Yesterday and today were filled with long hours of testing in each of your classes. The scores each student got counted for this thing or whatever. It's basically just meant to make the school look good. You were just tired and glad that tomorrow was the last testing day. After that, all of you could worry about the contest instead! That sounded like a much better use of time to you! But Seokjin insisted that he needed all of you to do well. Including the little zoo who were having their own midterms of the second semester.

Was reviewing in class not enough? You tried not to bang your head against the table. This was awful. Seokjin had his students at the kitchen table and taught as if Namjoon's kitchen was his classroom. The preteens were in the entry room near the stairs. They were told to help each other study. Seokjin was going to check in on them every now and then. Also, if they needed help then he would happily help them. That didn't mean they were happy with the sudden change in plans. While they begrudgingly studied, you looked at your friends. Yoongi wanted to leave and Hoseok was getting distracted. Namjoon was the only one keeping up with Seokjin, but even he was over the studying.

"This really isn't necessary, you know? I could always tutor—" Namjoon began only to receive a strong glare from Seokjin.

"No! You were their tutor and now you barely teach them anything unless they ask for help!" Seokjin huffed. "I'm going to teach now!"

"I hate this!" Hoseok whined. "Why can't you leave us alone!?"

"Because I want to be able to do the contest without any worries!" Seokjin clutched his chest. "I told you guys from the start! Do the contest but find a balance and don't let your grades suffer!"

"Why do you have to be a teacher?" Yoongi groaned.

"Trust me, Mr. Kim! I'm studying on my own." You smiled as the purple hair's face grew pink. He cleared his throat, realizing he was getting too into his teacher role. With the way he was acting, you called him Mr. Kim without thinking. "...Seokjin?"

"Ew, that feels weird right now." Hoseok shivered. "He's Mr. Kim right now."

"Technically the same thing." Namjoon shrugged.

"Mr. Kim, you need to give us a breather. How about an hour break?" Yoongi grinned while Seokjin frowned. "I could really use a nap right now."

"...all of you will study and listen to me teach. This is all for your own good," Seokjin spoke in a low voice. Yoongi stopped acting as laid back. Hoseok and Namjoon shared a glance, both telling each other to deal with it in order to survive. Holding back the urge to sigh, you let Seokjin continue teaching without making a single complaint. There were so many complaints in your head though!

It's been a long time since you've been properly tutored after school. You forgot what it felt like. Learning after school only made it feel like the school day dragged on longer. It didn't help that Seokjin was here to do the teaching. It was really fun when Namjoon taught you guys. Sure, it was easier to get distracted, but you liked the way Namjoon taught. He was very detailed and made sure you understood before moving on. It really helped you when you were behind in Seokjin's class. Plus, you personally felt a lot more comfortable asking Namjoon questions. Even if you felt dumb, he would always give you your favorite dimpled smile and assured you that you weren't dumb.

Namjoon glanced at you a couple times during the review. Seokjin was going at his regular pace which was always slightly faster than you liked, but it's tolerable. There were just moments where you had to figure things out yourself. You did ask questions sometimes! Not as many as you would have liked, but good enough. You were glad when Hoseok and Yoongi asked questions though. They would occasionally share the same confusion as you and you wouldn't have to ask yourself. The only thing that sucked was that one of your questions remained unasked. What was the meaning of this squiggle? Well, it wasn't a squiggle but a...you forgot. It looks like a squiggle!

And you're screaming internally because Seokjin is putting emphasis on the formula its involved in. Practice one more time with the formula! Please! Seokjin turned over the page in the study book and you felt your soul leave your body. You've already asked five questions during this entire review period. You need a little more time before you can start asking questions again. This was for your pride! With a small frown, you forced yourself to listen to Seokjin as he explained the next important thing to look out for on the test. That was until Namjoon raised his hand.

"Seokjin? I just wanted to make sure about the xi." Namjoon pointed to the squiggle. "Can you explain the xi a little more clearly?"

So the squiggle is called xi? Got it! You wrote it down in your notebook with a small smile. Glancing towards Namjoon, you saw him watching you with a warm expression. He knew you were struggling? As Seokjin went over the xi, you wrote down his words. It's supposed to represent mathematical or set theoretical entities. Either way, you were just going to try your best. The Greek letters in math always threw you off, but you're going to make sure you get a good score on this test no matter what! As Seokjin returned to introducing the new lesson, the kids ran in to tap his arm for his attention.

"What is it?" Seokjin asked, raising a wary brow at Taehyung who held up his workbook.

"I finished!" Taehyung held it up high. Seokjin squinted his eyes and leaned close to read what the puppy had wrote. After a few seconds, Seokjin sighed to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Taehyung, I can't even read what you wrote." Seokjin pursed his lips.

"What!?" Taehyung gasped. His brows puckered in confusion as he brought his workbook down to inspect it himself. As he did that, Namjoon looked over his shoulder. Seeing the look on Namjoon's face probably confirms Taehyung's messy writing.

"Here's mine!" Jimin held his up. Seokjin scanned over it with a smile, patting the baby chick's head.

"Very good, Jimin-a. It all looks in order." Seokjin nodded his head. Jimin stepped aside and the last in line was Jungkook. The bunny wasn't as excited to give his notebook to his uncle. He didn't have it opened to the right page and kept it close to himself. Seokjin tilted his head as he beckoned the boy over. Jungkook sighed at first before handing it over. The rest of you stayed quiet as Seokjin flipped to the page. Once Seokjin found it, his eyes widened slightly at the paper. "Kookie, this isn't done. You still have five problems uncompleted."

"I didn't feel like it," Jungkook admitted. "It's not homework anyway so it doesn't matter."

"Kookie, finish the five." Seokjin handed it back to him. The maknae took the workbook and grumbled under his breath. "Jungkook."

"I wish you weren't a teacher." Jungkook turned around. Seokjin frowned, watching the brunette disappear into a different room. Taehyung and Jimin awkwardly looked at each other.

"He's just crabby because of midterms." Taehyung patted Seokjin.

"We'll talk to him." Jimin gave the teacher a thumbs up. Seokjin smiled at how cutely they were acting. Seokjin knew himself that Jungkook would apologize later tonight. And if he didn't, Seokjin had tough skin. All from back when Jungkook would always yell at him to leave and want nothing to do with him. Things have changed now so you're sure they'll be fine. Yoongi was carefully watching Jungkook who was angrily doing his work. If it gets bad, Yoongi will talk to him.

Seokjin taught the four of you for an hour more before finally calling it a night. Thank goodness. Your brain was beginning to feel overworked. You just hoped that this cramming session makes testing tomorrow feel like a breeze. Packing up all your things, you silently watched as Yoongi told Seokjin to never pull this crap again. No more studying. Seokjin didn't look too threatened though to your surprise. He only hugged Yoongi affectionately, telling the boy he wished him luck on his test. Yoongi was burning in rage at this point. He was a tiger getting treated like a kitty. Once Seokjin let him go, Yoongi tried not to scream.

"I hated you during the review! I wanted to throw my textbook at you, but now I'm so grateful at the end of it!" Hoseok rushed to hug the purple hair.

"Thank you!! Wait, you what?" Seokjin frowned.

"I'm just glad my mind feels refreshed. It's been a while since I've properly studied." Namjoon smiled. "Did you understand everything, (F/n)?"

"Me?" You blushed lightly. "Ah, some parts were hard, but I got the hang of it all."

"That's good." Namjoon slowly returned to face the others. "Tomorrow is our last day before the contest. Remember we're sleep early since we're supposed to arrive at six in the morning."

"And the contest doesn't start getting televised until three in the afternoon." Hoseok whined.

"I'll mark that on my calendar!" Seokjin pulled out his phone.

"F*cking...good luck on your test." Yoongi scoffed to himself in his own world, kicking the ground. He was still thinking about the affection Seokjin gave him. Though he was trying to sound angry, you saw how hard he was trying to hide his joy. "He believes in me? Piece of sh*t."

"While Yoongi is having his moment, can you pass the information to the rest?" Namjoon asked. Seokjin nodded and walked out. The teacher was loudly clapping his hands, telling the kids to put their pencils down. You almost felt a heart attack hearing that. Hoseok gave you the same traumatized expression. Sometimes having Seokjin as your teacher was a bit weird. That's why you guys tried not to think about it often. Mr. Kim and Seokjin are two different people. Then Namjoon usually says that they're actually the same as if you guys didn't know that on your own.

The zoo were all screaming about the contest. Each of them excited and nervous. You could already hear Jungkook apologizing to his uncle. Putting your backpack on, you walked towards the living room. All of you had to load the school uniforms in Seokjin's car. The uniforms all fit and they all looked so good in them! Some of them looked so adorable! Specifically, the zoo while your friends felt like they were in a different school uniforms. Then you were surprised with how natural Seokjin looked in his uniform. You could tell he was older, but it didn't look too off. You're just glad it didn't have a creepy vibe like Yoongi kept saying it would. He was just being mean to his hyung.

Hoseok followed you into the living room. The two of you folded all the clothes neatly and placed them in one large box. He insisted on carrying it all the way to Seokjin's trunk. You wanted to help him so he wouldn't hurt himself, but fine. The clothes would be ready with Seokjin. He already knew he was in charge of keeping them safe before bringing them into the waiting room specifically for BTS. The waiting room was just a tent in reality. It still works though and the boys weren't too picky. Namjoon was with Taehyung, asking the boy to explain what exactly he wrote in his workbook. Taehyung stared at it and shrugged, saying he forgot.

"How could you forget!? This is your handwriting!" Namjoon waved it in his face.

"I ate a cookie and now I'm tired!" Taehyung groaned.

"A cookie? Who gave you a cookie? We haven't even had dinner yet!" Namjoon exclaimed.

As he said that, you could see Jungkook shoving the last two cookies in his mouth. He saw you and lifted his index finger to his mouth. Nodding your head, you would keep his secret. Mainly because you were melting inside. He looked so cute with his cheeks stuffed! You could completely understand Seokjin when he excitedly showed you guys photos of his nephew. Though you were in high school, you often thought about the future and having kids of your own. They would be so adorable! The sad thing is that it takes two to make a baby as far as you know so you need to graduate high school and find your man first before you start going too crazy.

"Kids..." Namjoon turned around and sighed. He smiled at you as he walked into the kitchen.

"Everything is ready in the car!" Hoseok shouted as he looked back at Jungkook. "Wait, did you eat all my cookies?"

"Shh. Don't rat him out or else Namjoon's going to start scolding them." Yoongi motioned for the orange hair to zip it.

"(F/n)?" Seokjin nudged your shoulder. You snapped out of your thoughts, unsure of what you were thinking of. "Want me to take you home with the other boys?"

"Oh! Yeah! Actually, hold on a second!" You rushed over to Yoongi. Seokjin whistled at Jungkook to hurry up with packing his things. The boy huffed, wanting to continue playing with his friends. All they've been doing is studying for the last couple hours. Jimin and Jungkook hugged Taehyung before making their way to Seokjin's car. "Hey Yoongi, can I borrow your bike?"

"My bike? Can you even drive it?" Yoongi cocked a brow up with a smirk.

"I'll figure it out." You grinned. Yoongi thought about it for a second, eventually agreeing. As soon as he agreed, you hoped to hug him. You ended up hugging air. Where did he go? Blinking at your hands, you soon heard Yoongi groaning as Hoseok dragged him over to Namjoon who was leaving the kitchen.

"Come on!" Hoseok pulled both boys into a tight group hug.

"What is going on?" Namjoon questioned.

"He saw the kids do it and wanted us to do the same," Yoongi grumbled. A smile creeped itself on your face. Quickly pulling out your phone, you took a picture of the hug. This precious photo was now going to be your background on your phone. Unfortunately, you weren't as slick as you thought you were. The camera clicked when you took a photo and you winced. Yoongi's eyes widened in alarm and Namjoon was beginning to squirm in Hoseok's arms.

"Did you take a photo?" Namjoon was flipping around.

"Erase it!" Yoongi hissed.

"Send it to me!!" Hoseok cheered.

"I suggest running." Seokjin chuckled.

"Meet you in the car! Bye Namjoon, bye Taehyung!" You waved as you bolted out the door. Namjoon and Yoongi finally escaped Hoseok's iron grip. You jumped into Seokjin's car, hearing Jimin and Jungkook squeal at the sight of their hyungs charging. Locking the doors from inside, you held the two kids. It was terrifying but in a good way. It felt like when you're playing tag and you almost got tagged. Jimin and Jungkook were laughing as their two hyungs tried breaking in. It wasn't long before Seokjin was yelling at them to leave his car alone.

The chaos calmed down as it always did. Namjoon and Taehyung waved goodbye as Seokjin reversed out of the driveway. Yoongi and Hoseok were now in the car too. The first one to get dropped off was Jimin with the convenience store so nearby. Next was Hoseok who waited until the car vanished from his sight before bothering to enter the quiet home. Seokjin was then left with Yoongi and you besides his nephew who was playing videogames on his phone. Jungkook would occasionally show you his screen, boasting about making new records and of course you just had to hype him up.

Seokjin soon dropped you off at Yoongi's house. He was confused on why you weren't going to yours first. It was all because of Yoongi's bike. You need to get back home with it and grab the flyers you had printed out. With the posters stuffed in a backpack and a bike, you were going to spread them around town to hype up the boys and get more viewers. The goal was to get people interested and lean towards BTS since that's going to be the first group they know due to the flyers. They'll see BTS on the screen, remember them from the flyer, and then get amazed by their talent! BOOM. BTS get a vote! That's how you like to imagine it anyway.

Jungkook poked his head out of the window as the car started to move. He excitedly waved, shouting goodbye to you and Yoongi. The two of you couldn't help, but smile. The maknae was such a baby. Yoongi had a clear soft spot for the kid too. Turning to face the wine haired male, he was walking towards the shack at the side of his house. There was a tiny lock that he easily unlocked. The wooden doors were opened and inside was his motorbike. You remember sitting on the back of it, holding on tight to Yoongi at midnight. It's been a while since you guys have gone to Midnight Measure together on his bike. Yoongi rolled it out with a heavy sigh.

"Are you sure you don't want my help?" Yoongi asked.

"I doubt your mom will let you. You may not be grounded anymore, but I'm sure you're on thin ice." You stated as he shrugged.

"I'm always on thin ice. What's new?" He chuckled as he handed you the key. "But don't think I'm not doing a crash course with you."

"Fair enough." You giggled as you tried to hop on. Yoongi stopped you, muttering that you should wait until you guys get out in the road. Fine!

Yoongi chuckled, pushing the bike out onto the road. He turned it on, turning the key in the ignition. So this was becoming real now? Things were beginning to feel scary and you didn't like the smug expression his face. You'll show Yoongi what you're capable of. It's like riding a regular bike! But not at the same time. Yoongi handed you the helmet he always gave you. Putting it on, Yoongi then handed you gloves. He wanted to make sure you were wearing some gear just in case. Though you weren't wearing extreme gear, he told you to drive safe after the crash course. There's nothing wrong with going slow or coming back to have him drive you instead. Yoongi just needed you to know that you could always call him for help.

The first thing Yoongi wanted to explain were the controls. On the left side, there was the kick stand. He prefers getting on from the left side since it's a lot more stable from there. It's best to grab the left grip bar too when getting on so you did that to see him smile. It's almost like he enjoyed seeing you on his motorbike. From there, he continued with the left side. There was a clutch just like on the right side to engage and disengage. Basically, a break. The front clutch on the right though was the one that held the most stopping power so you made sure to mentally note that. The left side had most of the controls like the turning signals, low and high beam headlights, and hazard lights. Yoongi then moved on to the right side. The right handle grip was where the throttle was. Turning it was what made you go faster. Nodding your head, you saw Yoongi glance at the temperature of the bike. He was waiting for it to heat up a bit before letting you ride around.

The last thing he wanted you to be aware of was the right peg and rear break control. Those were there to help just in case. He didn't want you feeling afraid on his bike. You smiled, keeping all those things in mind. Once the bike was warmed up, Yoongi turned the bike onto run. He kicked up the kick stand and wanted you to feel the bike while it was in neutral. You were able to move it back and forth, growing comfortable with controlling the bike. Yoongi clicked it up to zero and checked the gear indicator before telling you that you were ready to start driving in circles. Really? That fast? With wide eyes, you stared down at the bike.

"Slowly release the clutch," Yoongi instructed. Doing as he said, you squealed to feel the bike moving forward. "Calm down! You're fine. I'm here."

"I know!" You giggled, still nervous.

"Don't release the clutch too fast or else you'll kill the bike, but that's fine. You just start over with the bike." Yoongi shrugged. "If you successfully release the clutch slowly, you'll get the bike in first gear without having to use the throttle."

"Am I doing it?" Your heart rate picked up as the bike picked up slight speed. It was going 6 mph so that wasn't too bad. You were going in circles as Yoongi watched you. He stood with his hands in his pockets and a proud expression.

"You got it, Baby girl!" Yoongi laughed. "Now try going up and down the street. This time, slowly turn the throttle."

"Sh*t, okay! It's going down!" You turned the bike. Just like Yoongi said, you slowly applied the throttle. You were moving faster and it was so cool! You went down the street before turning back to return to Yoongi. He was clapping his hands.

"Great, now pull on your left clutch first and then apply the front brake." Yoongi crossed his arms. You did as he said, watching the bike slow down and stop. Yoongi then walked up to you with a smirk on his face. "You're pretty much solid. I could teach you how to slowly use second gear and higher, but I'm burning your daylight."

"Thank you so much, Yoongi!" You threw your arms around his neck, almost falling off the bike. Yoongi caught you and laughed. He patted your back and took a couple steps away.

"Don't crash her! Return her safely back to me tomorrow in the morning!" Yoongi pointed his finger at you. "And don't get caught by the cops!"

"Will do!" You saluted him.

Repeating the process that he taught you, you happily road all the way back to your house. As long as you stayed calm, things would be fine. It was really hard to knock the smile off your face too. Yoongi's bike is going to help you promote your boys so easily! Hell yeah! Best manager award goes to you! Nearing your house, you parked the motorbike to the side of your house. You didn't want your parents seeing you ride it. They would wonder where exactly you got it and Dad would be crying about your safety. Mom would probably tell some story about how she used to ride motorbikes or something. You wouldn't be surprised at this point.

Running into your house, you tried to act as normal as possible. Dad was watching television while Mom was cleaning the dining room. You said hello to them and hurried your way into your room. Time to get the posters! They were in an old backpack of yours, hidden in the closet. You tossed your backpack aside to get the old one. In the middle of your hurry, you got a phone call from Namjoon. Did it have to do with the contest? Picking up, you brought it to your ear and stayed in your room. You didn't want your parents knowing who was on the other side of the call. Hopefully this call goes quick. You have the key in your hands and a backpack full of flyers on you already.

"(F/n)? Are you busy?" Namjoon asked.

"Uh, sort of. I'm about to ask my parents if I can go out with you guys to the convenience store for ramen which is obviously a lie. I need to go around town and put up the flyers," You stated. "Did you see the email I sent you? It was cute, huh?"

"You really like cute things, huh?" Namjoon chuckled. "I thought it was eye catching and memorable. Did you want any help with that?"

"It's okay, Namjoon! I told Yoongi already that I had it all covered!" You smiled, pacing your room. "You just focus on your own things. I'm sure Yoongi and Hoseok are busy with their things too."

"Like working on a song without me?" Namjoon scoffed.

"They'll let you work on it later!" You laughed.

"I hope so. It's driving me crazy. I just might have to tell on them to our manager." Namjoon must have been smirking. You just knew he would be.

"Love my job." You sighed. "I gotta go, Namjoon. I'll see you and the rest of the boys tomorrow, okay? Take care!"

"Bye, Girlie."

Hanging up the phone, you shoved it into your old backpack. It's time to get back on the road! These flyers weren't going to post themselves! As you slid the backpack on again, you turned to face your bedroom door. You began to pale instantly to see it wide open with your mother leaning against the door frame. Her arms were crossed as she kept her eyes narrowed down on you. How long was she standing there? If she was there from the beginning then she would have heard that you were planning on lying to her and the fact that you have been for months now. You have male friends. Swallowing hard, you didn't know what to say.

"Eomma..."

"Going out, Sweetie?" Mom took slow steps towards you. The smirk on her face grew as she stood right in front of you. "Namjoon is his real name, I see. Then Yoongi and Hoseok must be the real names of the others too. I had a feeling you weren't telling the truth."

"E-Eomma, I'm sorry! I can explain!" You frowned.

"Explain what? Why you lied?" She tilted her head. Keeping your mouth shut, she sighed and shook her head. "Listen Sweetie, I suggest not lying to me. You may have some of my rebellious youth in you, but you have your Appa's genes when it comes to lying. It's so obvious to me."

"...that bad?" You wanted to wince.

"Slightly better, but still bad." She nodded with a smile. "I'll be honest with you. I'm proud you were able to keep this lie for this long."

"Thanks?" You weren't sure if it was something a parent should truly be proud of. You were going to take it anyway.

"I'll tell you what. Go have 'ramen' with your 'girls'. I'll make something up to your Appa and keep it a secret." She held up her pinky finger. "Just promise you won't lie to me because I will do everything in my power to find out. Understand?"

"Yes, Eomma! Deal!" You linked pinkies. She's the best Mom ever! You could always count on your Mom even if she was a bit strange at times. She always knew something was up. It made you wonder if she was psychic at times.

"Are any one of them your boyfriends?" She grinned. "Or are you dating all three at the same time? I've done that, I won't judge."

"Eomma!! I'm leaving!" You blushed, storming out of your room.

"Okay, we'll bond later!"

Mom was always something else. She would always tell you about her past in the most inappropriate times. Anytime you're truly curious or the time is right, she refuses to cooperate. Then when you ask Dad, he seems to have strange goggle vision. He tells you things about how your mother was a beautiful and innocent flower. She was like an angel. Then in the background you can see your Mom either laughing her @ss off or wanting to vomit. You're just grateful that Mom lets you handle things on your own. She helps you when you truly don't know what to do. Though you kept your toxic friends a secret, you think she knew a little of what was going on. Why else would she randomly mention Sehwang's entrance exam to you?

Running outside, you hopped back on the bike. You tugged on the throttle, riding down the street. These flyers are going to go everywhere! You'll work hard to plaster the town with them! Though you only have seventy printed out, you think that's more than enough. You rode around town and left them at stores, bus stops, and tried handing them out at a park. Then speaking of park, you stopped by the convenience store. You left the flyer posted next to the old faded poster announcing the contest in the first place.

As you were putting it up, you heard familiar voices. Shoving your supplies back in your back, your heart almost leaped out of your chest to see Hyunho. Running to hide around the corner, you held your breath before taking a peek again. He was taking a walk with Jimin? Furrowing your brows, you saw Hyunho nod as Jimin explained how he was sorry for snapping at Dylan. He understood and the two of them walked into the store again. You instantly noted the voices of the other D-Crunch members inside, specifically H4. They were always there!

You got on the bike as soon as you could and drove off. At the moment, you didn't really feel like dealing with the rivals. It looked like Jimin was handling important business with one of them anyway. You were proud of Jimin though. Even in his work uniform, he took a second to apologize. Riding in the direction of Midnight Measure, you felt a rush of adrenaline go through you. Being able to go wherever you want felt so nice! You're going to have to thank Mom again once you're done and you're sure she's going to ask what you were doing. She might as well learn about the contest.

After a couple minutes, you were arriving in the alleyway that Midnight Measure hid in. You slowed down to park the bike near the entrance. Kicking your leg over the bike and putting the stand down, you began to hop down the stone steps to Midnight Measure. Opening the big door, you walked inside and held the last thirty flyers to your chest. You looked around the dim building. There wasn't as much people here when there was still daylight out. As you walked around searching for the owner, you heard a huge gasp. It frightened you at first until you realized there would only be a few people who would recognize you down here. Turning around, you were instantly hugged.

"(F/n)!! What are you doing here? Is Suga with you?" Jinyo wanted to squeeze you tight.

"Be careful! I'm holding fragile flyers!" You warned. He nodded right away, letting you go. Once he did that you were able to see Junsuh and Jaegyu standing behind him. They waved at you happily, their friendly atmosphere strong as ever. "Jinyo-ssi, you think you can help me with these last flyers?"

"Can I?" Jinyo grinned as he took them from your hands. He split them up evenly between him and his friends.

"So why are you guys here so early?" You questioned.

"We have nothing else to do." Jaegyu shrugged with a laugh. "We work and then that's it. We're kind of dead beats but with jobs and we're not alcoholics."

"Where do you guys even work?" You asked, curious to know. These guys always seemed to be down here.

"I work as a manager at a factory. Boring." Jinyo groaned.

"I do tattoos and give piercings." Jaegyu smirked. The amount of tattoos on his skin proved his love for it. The male also pointed out Junsuh's lip piercing which you assumed Jaegyu was responsible for.

"Server at a restaurant," Junsuh simply stated.

"He also does labor on the side! You see those muscles?" Jaegyu patted his tall friend's back. Junsuh remained still, but you saw the tiny smile show on his face.

"Oh, I've seen his muscles." Jinyo chuckled to himself. The way he said it though sounded like he was implying something. Junsuh shook his head right away.

"Don't be creepy." Jaegyu scolded.

"Why is it creepy from me??" Jinyo frowned, offended and hurt. He dramatically stumbled backwards. Junsuh quietly watched Jinyo as if he has a feeling this would occur like some routine.

"You know why." Jaegyu crossed his arms.

"Middle school," Junsuh said and Jinyo blushed bright red.

"Okay! I get it! Shut up!" Jinyo turned to face you with a smile. One that was trying so hard not to turn into a scowl. While the two men behind him snickered, you held back your own laughs. You weren't sure what they were talking about but Jinyo's expressions made it hard not to laugh. "We'll help you spread your flyers! I unfortunately can't see the boys perform live this Saturday because of work, but I promise you that I'm going to call for a day off and buy tickets to go!"

"We're coming with!" Jaegyu cheered.

"We'll hopefully see you there soon, (F/n)." Junsuh smiled. You gave all three of them big hugs. They're the absolute best! Once you started walking away, you could already hear Jinyo barking orders at them to hand them out to people here. Pin them to the walls and bring two to where they work. They were going to do their best with ten flyers each.

Leaving the underground building, you walked back to Yoongi's bike. Your job for today was over! Heading back to your place took a while. The sun was setting at this point and you just hoped you made it home in time. Yoongi told you where the lights were but you weren't quite sure which one to use. Luckily, you arrived home before you seriously needed lights. As Yoongi told you to do, you weren't caught by a cop! You're pretty sure you're supposed to have some kind of license to drive this.

Hopping off the bike, you wheeled the bike towards your backyard. Dad won't find it there and it'll be safe. Yoongi won't have anything to worry about with his precious bike. You'll bring it back to him in the morning all in one piece. He'll kill you if you don't and you'd like to see them perform live at the contest. Walking back to your house, you made your way to your room. Mom smiled to herself when she saw you enter. Pretending you guys weren't hiding a secret, you hugged your Dad and told them you were going to sleep. They told you goodnight and you soon shut yourself in your room. Right when you were in front of your bed, you fell on it tiredly.

"I was afraid for my life the entire time I was on the bike..." You mumbled to yourself. While you were recovering, you heard your phone buzz. Rolling over to check it, you got a message from Hoseok. He sent you a picture with a long message. Smiling at the photo, you instantly began replying back. It was just a selca of himself staring up at the camera with a soft smile. It just made you happy for some reason. The message was what really made you the happiest though.

**Hoseok** 🦊

**Hoseok **🦊

Hey (F/n) I just wanted to thank you so much for being our manager 💙 it really means the world to me that you wanted to help us out that  
much and it shows with all the work you do for us.  
I doubt the others have thanked you properly yet so  
Maybe I should get a reward? Maybe a date?? Haha  
I am serious though when I'm telling you that I  
Appreciate all your efforts~~~ Glad we could become  
Friends this year!! My heart couldn't take having you  
Hate me 💔💔 oh manager-nim I wish you the best night and hope you sleep tight! 💤 Don't let the bed bugs bite!! ❌🚫

**You**

Aw Hobi, you're very sweet to me  
I appreciate the lovely selca too haha  
I'm glad we could become friends too  
And I hope you have a good night as  
Well because we got a lot of work ahead  
Of us soon! Good night, Hoseokie~~

**Hoseok **🦊

And my reward???  
??  
(F/n)??

**You**

~~sweet dreams~~

**Hoseok **🦊

:(  
Wow  
I'm hURT 😢😭😢😭😢😭

**You**

I'll send you a cute pic of the kiddies

**Hoseok **🦊

Yes pls

**You**


	47. Sleepover

Ch.47

Friday's were always a good day. You were just waiting for the good part with this Friday to begin already. Today has been filled with nothing, but testing. The first test you had today was in Seokjin's class. It was section three of the math test and you guys finally finished it today. It felt like your shoulders had gotten lighter to have the math stuff being over with. Thankfully the review Seokjin forced you guys to do yesterday really helped you. Now you're sure you did good in math! The rest of your classes weren't too worrisome. It's not like the tests were fun, but they were a lot easier than math ever will be. Maybe you should have studied them for a little more. That would have been a good idea, but you did your best with the time you had. You're positive you'll do well anyway.

You're passing all your classes as the second semester slowly comes to a close. At the end of the month, spring break would begin. Which meant two things! Either the boys could win the contest at the start of spring break or they lost before then. Though you hated the second option, it was a reality that you couldn't completely ignore. You didn't want to go into this contest blind. If you ignore and deny any chance of them losing, you feel that will only cause more harm than good. You just need to have faith in your boys but be ready for anything as their manager. You take your job very seriously of course!

Setting down your pencil, you bit your lip. The last test of the day was finally complete and there were only a couple minutes left of class. Hopefully, time flies by fast. You want to get out of here as fast as you can. The rest of the boys and you were going to Namjoon's house as normal to practice hard. The only difference this time was that you guys were staying past six in the evening. Mom already knows the deal since you explained everything to her. About the contest, the boys, all that. She also knows that you're going to have a sleepover with them at Namjoon's house. Dad just had to think Namjoo and you're all good.

The clock was ticking and you were growing impatient. Come on! You can't even look at your phone to pass the time. If a phone gets taken out at all, your test will get ripped up. There's no way you're taking that chance when you go to Sehwang Academy. That's just a death wish. You just had to distract yourself by daydreaming which was a lot easier than you thought it would be. Before you knew it, the bell rang and you were back in reality. Your teacher told everyone to put their pencils down and to turn the papers over. She would pick them all up by herself while the rest of you are free to go. Testing is finally over? F*ck yeah!!

With your things packed and ready to go, you bolted out of the classroom. It was way too stressful, but you were free from it! Now the only weight on your shoulders was from the contest! Awful, but you preferred that over the tests. Mainly with how much emphasis the faculty put on these tests. The higher the score you get, the higher privileges you get which is understandable. Then the school also grabs the average of the entire school's scores and brags to local high schools. Well, you hope they got what they wanted because you feel out of order. Making your way to the gates, you panted and looked around. Maybe you got too excited to leave since no one else was here yet.

"Yah!" A familiar voice shouted. You turned to see Yoongi running over. "You were supposed to wait for me!" He slowed down in front of you, panting with a frown. "I can't believe...you made me run..."

"Oh...sorry, I got really excited to leave." You chuckled before patting his back. "And who cares if you ran? You're able to dance for hours!"

"Because Jung Hoseok makes me!" Yoongi retorted.

"I make you do what?" Hoseok suddenly appeared. The two of you jump into the air in surprise. He literally came out of nowhere! Hoseok grinned at the both of you smugly as he told you not to talk about him when he's not here or else he'll just magically appear. Even while he was teasing, you had to get your heart rate to slow down. By this time, Namjoon was showing up with a calm expression. He must have done well on his tests. You have no doubt about that.

"Seokjin will meet us at my house. He has to do teacher stuff." Namjoon shrugged.

"Lame." Yoongi began walking. The rest of you began following him, walking the familiar path to Namjoon's house.

"What kind of teacher stuff?" Hoseok asked.

"Probably something to do with the tests. Get them all corrected by a machine and send them somewhere," You said. "I don't really know how standardized tests work."

"Something like that I bet." Hoseok smiled.

"Come on, let's go pick up my brother and his friends at their school." Namjoon changed the plans. Yoongi faced him, raising a brow in confusion. "We'll all go to the convenience store and get a bunch of snacks for tonight while Seokjin does his work."

"I like these change in plans." Yoongi smirked.

The four of you were cheering about food the entire way over to the middle school. All of you had a specific snack in mind. Seokjin was really missing out on this conversation about food. It was no secret that he really liked food. That's rough for him. By the time all of you arrived to the middle school, the zoo completely lost it to see you and the rappers waiting for them. They couldn't believe that all of you came to pick them up. The young ones immediately rushed to hug their favorite hyung tightly. You sighed at the sight, but the zoo knew better. As soon as they hugged their hyungs, you were swarmed by them. Taehyung was the first to hug you before Jimin claimed that he had to share. You wondered where the bunny was and then you quickly found out when he gave you a back hug. How adorable!

Just for that, you were going to buy them all one extra snack. The preteens all cheered successfully while Yoongi pulled you to the side. What's the problem? He was quick to tell you that you're weak to cute things. It's not like you can help it! Hoseok and Namjoon laughed, admitting that you were easy to coerce with the help of cute things. They caught you. Hoseok found it cute himself while Namjoon advised you to not let the kids make you a pushover. You hoped they wouldn't or else you'd be ready to scold all of them.

As soon as all of you arrived at the convenience store, it felt like something unleashed. Hoseok and the kids were pushing at each other to make their way in. They were running around like wild animals. Hoseok moving quick and easily slipping past the boys like a fox. His paws already on a couple bags of chips and gummy worms. Taehyung and Jungkook were laughing until they almost bumped into an aisle. It luckily didn't fall down, but it gave Jimin a heart attack since he knew he would become responsible for it. Currently his parents were getting boxes from the back and trusted Jimin to watch you guys for five minutes. You hoped that wasn't a mistake.

"I don't think I'm getting paid for this, guys! Don't get too crazy!" Jimin shouted.

"I'm careful!" Taehyung huffed.

"This is mainly a warning for your brother!" Jimin crossed his arms. Namjoon was grabbing a carton of banana milk when the baby chick said this. His eyes widened in shock at the boy's words.

"What did I do? Oh sh*t—" Namjoon accidentally dropped the carton of milk. The good thing though is Jungkook was standing next to him and easily caught it. The maknae smirked as he stared up at his hyung. "Oh, thanks...wait, where are you going? Give that back!"

"There's more in the fridge, Hyung! This is mine now!" Jungkook snickered.

"That kid..." Namjoon mumbled as he took another one out. Yoongi was now walking up to the counter with a small of sweetbread and strawberry milk. Jimin had a handful of sour candy that he brought up to the counter. The other boys were finishing up while you were stuck between two of your favorite junk foods. Namjoon came over with his items in his arm, looking over your shoulder. "Do you not know which one to pick?"

"Basically." You held both in your hands. You were contemplating whether you should get the chocolate marshmallow cookies or just go with a bag of honey chips.

"I can help you pay for both." Namjoon smiled. You looked up to him with a grateful smile but shook your head. There was no need for him do that. You should just pick one so you guys can head back to his place.

"I think I'll just get the chips." You shrugged as you set down the cookies.

"Cool." Namjoon grabbed the cookies instantly, walking over to the counter.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?" You hurried behind him.

"I'm buying myself these cookies too. But don't worry, I'll share with you." Namjoon winked. A blush spread across your cheeks. As the both of you reached the counter, you saw Taehyung giving Namjoon a proud thumbs up. Those two were grinning at each other and you sighed. Meanwhile Jimin and Jungkook were staring at their hyungs to up their game. You'll never understand them.

Once all the items were paid for, you guys carried the food all the way over to the Kim household. You and the elder boys had to carry the bags or else the younger ones would start eating them right away. None of you wanted them spoiling dinner! Seokjin was going to be cooking again for you guys. Jungkook told all of you to look forward to it. It isn't often he boasts about his uncle. Right when Jungkook smiled brightly at you saying no one cooks better than his uncle, you almost gave him his snack. Yoongi had to remove the bag from you since you had little to no self-control. They knew something like that would happen. Jungkook was beginning to figure out how to get the things he wants from you.

"You can't be cute and mischievous! Don't do that to me!" You whined as you attempted to pick up the bunny.

"AAH! Noona!" Jungkook laughed, trying to escape your grip. No! You weren't letting that happen!

The entire walk back to Namjoon's place involved a lot of screaming. If Jungkook had just stayed still, things would have been fine. He managed to escape and run away from you. With a huff, you attempted to hug Jimin or Taehyung, but they began to squeal and run off like their friend. How dare they!? You chased after them as they screamed out of excitement. Namjoon shouted at you guys to be careful. Hoseok looked over at his friends, suggesting that they should run too. Yoongi automatically told him that he's done enough running today. He only has energy for dancing and even that was limited at the moment.

The zoo were in a fit of giggles when you caught them at Namjoon's house. You tickled them all as punishment and patted yourself on the back. That surely taught them a lesson! It took a minute for the rappers to reach the home. By then, Taehyung was complaining at Namjoon for taking too long. That immediately raised the question on why he didn't just open the door himself. He has the house key. Taehyung stayed quiet for a while and refused to say anything. Jimin and Jungkook were snickering though so you knew something weird had to have happened. None of them were revealing what actually occurred and you couldn't blame them too much. Namjoon sighed, muttering that he'll get him a fourth replacement.

Fourth!?

Yoongi and Hoseok furrowed their brows at the puppy who pretended he wasn't getting judged. It was around this time when Seokjin's car pulled up into the driveway. He showed up, pleasantly surprised to see all of you standing outside in the front. Everyone was here now! Namjoon unlocked the front door and you ushered everyone inside. It's time to get to practicing! You're sure Hoseok will want to do a couple last minute touch ups on Boy In Luv. Then you need to make sure the boys keep their performance high at all times. Even if they aren't dancing in center, you want them giving it their all and remembering that this is a group effort. Everyone has to be on the same page. If one member is lacking energy, it becomes noticeable and it can affect the performance.

Though there won't be professional judges, people will still critique. Based off the things they say, that might impact the online voting. Your boys had to be on top of their game so they get more praise than anything else. While they went outside to go over their choreography, you brought all the junk food into the kitchen. Seokjin dropped off his supplies in the kitchen to make dinner later. You were already super excited to have his food. That's when it occurred to you that maybe you should make the boys lunch. They'll all be at the location from the early morning to the late night. You're allowed backstage beforehand, but once they begin to tape, that's when you have to stay in the audience. Maybe you'll make them the typical lunch you always make Yoongi when you have time!

You were thrilled at the idea and went outside to watch the boys. Sitting on the porch, you recorded them a few times so they could see what they looked like. Hoseok only wanted them to tighten up their performance. There were moments when the person in center was off, when a member wasn't fitting in his window correctly and couldn't be seen, or when formations were a bit sloppy. As Hoseok went over it for the next three hours with them, their dance grew cleaner. Hoseok was enjoying the new recordings you took. The dance was solid and so was the rapping. It was mainly the vocals who were a little nervous with singing full out. That usually caused their vocals to be unstable, but you gave them all a bunch of encouragement. They had this in the bag!

When it was time to start making dinner, Seokjin tapped out of dancing. He entered the house and you gave him his towel and water bottle. The rest of the boys would continue practicing. Since the young boys were the most unsure of their vocals, Namjoon wanted to work on that. Yoongi pulled out a mini keyboard from his backpack. When did he have that? Hoseok was excited as they began to help the vocals with checking if they were hitting the right notes, on pitch, and singing in a healthy fashion. No one wanted them damaging their vocal chords by straining themselves too much. Hoseok warmed up with the maknaes and that was all you saw before helping Seokjin in the kitchen.

"How do you feel about your singing?" You asked while washing your hands. Seokjin already had his hands clean with his sleeves rolled up. Not to mention, a white apron he brought specifically for tonight. Written on the apron was a pun that read 'this chef is a whisk taker'.

"My singing? Uh...it could be better. I could be better at a lot of things for the team." Seokjin shrugged.

"Aw, I think you have a very nice voice." You smiled.

"Thank you, (F/n)." Seokjin's ears turned bright red. "Ah, but my dancing sucks so—"

"Nope! You've improved so much that it's amazing! You might not be at Hoseok's level, but you're doing so well for yourself!" You cheered as he sighed. His shoulders sank before turning to face you with a raised brow.

"I'm assuming you won't let me talk negatively about myself?" He asked.

"Positive!"

"Fine. Can you pass me the lettuce?" Seokjin sighed in defeat. With a bright attitude, you gave him what he needed. You helped Seokjin in the kitchen and soon dinner was made. You called the boys in from outside that dinner was ready. All of them dropped what they were doing, running inside with hungry stomachs. They zoomed past you that you had to take a step back from the door or else you would get trampled. Laughing to yourself, you followed them over to the kitchen table. You were hungry too!

All the boys ate well. Seokjin told them to eat up which they didn't have to be told twice to do. They were stuffing themselves full which made you want to laugh. Yoongi asked for the salt to be passed at one point. Namjoon being the kind person he is, he picked it up but the cap must have been unscrewed or something. He slipped up and all the salt fell out of the bottle. For the longest time, Yoongi stared at Namjoon silently. His glare burned on the president who had his lips tightly pursed together. Hoseok pinched the top of the salt pile and sprinkled it over Yoongi's food. 'There, all better' was all Hoseok said. Yoongi's glare was now on the both of them. That was probably your favorite part about dinner.

After dinner, a movie was played and everyone began to eat their snacks. It was like a reward for all their hard work. One last moment of relaxation before they put themselves in front of so many eyes. It was stressful yet most of the boys were beginning to feel more excited than nervous. It was their dreams coming true to the three rappers. It was a cool experience for the young vocals and offered a lot of bonding moments for Seokjin. The teacher admitted that being friends with his students helped him more as a teacher than he thought it would. When he actually listens to them and truly does his best for them. Though you doubt Seokjin will go through another contest for students, you're sure he'll be a great teacher for many more students.

Soon all eight of you were laying on the floor of the living room. Couches and furniture were moved just so you guys could all sleep in the same room. All of you were snuggled warmly in your sleeping bags. You were in a row with your friends with Yoongi to your right, Namjoon to your left, and Hoseok to Namjoon's left. Your feet were able to touch Jimin's feet who was across from you. Across from Yoongi was Jungkook, Taehyung from Namjoon, and Seokjin from Hoseok. While all of you stared at the ceiling, you guys just talked about the contest and what it meant to you guys. Everyone was looking forward to it to the point where it was hard to sleep. How can you sleep when your heart was beating this wildly from thrilled emotions alone?

"I can't wait to dance in front of a big crowd like that." Jimin giggled as he tried kicking your feet. "And on TV too!"

"I'm excited to be on TV!" Taehyung agreed. "I'm glad that I get to perform with Hyung too."

"You'll do a great job, Tae." Namjoon smiled.

"WE'LL do a great job!" Taehyung immediately corrected.

"Yes, my bad." Namjoon looked at you, holding back embarrassed chuckles.

"I always wanted to sing and dance like an idol to be honest...I was just too shy," Jungkook admitted. "So I'm really happy I have all of you with me to complete my dream. I wouldn't want it to be with anyone else."

"Kookie, my heart!" Seokjin sounded like he was going to cry. "I love you so much! Samchon loves you!"

"You're sometimes questionable, Samchon..." Jungkook said and Yoongi instantly cackled.

"D*mn Seokjin, just adopt Jungkook-a already. Get your sister to sign the adoption papers." Yoongi grinned, enjoying the sound of Seokjin angrily moving in his sleeping bag.

"You shut up and call me hyung!" The eldest huffed.

"You want to _adopt_ me?" Jungkook scoffed. "No! I like Eomma!"

"I know that!" Seokjin sighed.

"I want Hoseok hyung to adopt me as his little brother. Is that possible?" Jimin asked.

"I'll talk to my Eomma about it. We'll see what we can do." Hoseok grinned. Jimin cheered before it grew quiet again. There was silence for a couple minutes and you believed everyone was finally going to sleep. Closing your eyes, you soon heard the sound of sleeping bags moving around. It sounded like someone was wriggling around. You instantly opened your eyes in confusion. Namjoon and Yoongi looked just as lost as you. That's when you finally sat up to see Seokjin, a grown man, childishly swatting his hands at Taehyung. The puppy fought back and they were shamelessly attacking each other. Namjoon soon sat up once he saw your reaction. He automatically pinched the bridge of his nose at the sight.

"Seokjin hyung, leave my brother alone." Namjoon scowled.

"Yeah!" Taehyung stuck his tongue out at the teacher. Seokjin gasped, ignoring Jungkook's laughter.

"What!? Why me!?" Seokjin frowned.

"Because I know d*mn well that you started it," Namjoon stated.

Seokjin's silence spoke for itself. Namjoon and you laid back down, smiling at each other. It took a lot not to laugh after scolding him. The two of you did hear Taehyung snickering. A few seconds after, the puppy grunted and you knew Seokjin must have elbowed him or something. You looked at Namjoon to see if he was going to do anything about it. Namjoon only shook his head and muttered that his brother kind of deserved it. Whatever he says then. Namjoon got comfortable, attempting to fall asleep for real this time. You figured you might as well do the same. Yoongi looked like he was sleeping too. No matter how much you wanted to poke them to keep talking, you should let them rest. They need to be ready for tomorrow! Sleep well, boys.

"You know...I really can't wait to dance with you guys too. To see my hard work on stage and stuff." Hoseok randomly began speaking. "That's the sh*t."

"That's my type of sh*t too, Hyung," Jungkook said. Your eyes instantly popped wide open to hear his innocent voice say those words. The next thing you heard was a loud high pitched shriek.

"Jeon Jungkook!!" Seokjin cried out.

"Sorry..."

There was silence again. Maybe all of you were finally going to sleep for real this time. This time for sure. Letting out a soft sigh, you got comfortable in your sleeping bag. Things were really peaceful as you felt yourself beginning to drift off. That is until you heard quiet whimpers. What's going on? Your eyes shot open for the second time. It sounded like someone was crying and you couldn't pinpoint who. Furrowing your brows, you looked to your left to check on the leader. Was he having a mental break down because of all his responsibility for tomorrow? When you looked at him, he seemed to be completely fine. You brought your hand up to his face and checked if there were any tears. Nothing. Namjoon cracked open an eye, confused as to why you were touching his face.

You only gave him an awkward smile before turning to face Yoongi. He looked more annoyed than sad. The whimpers continued and you could tell the mood was getting awkward. No one was saying anything about the crying! Frowning, you felt the need to bring it up. It could be one of the young kids who are too overwhelmed for tomorrow. Yoongi gritted his teeth, flipping around in his sleeping bag. He wanted so badly for the cries to vanish. You didn't get why he was so annoyed. He kept moving around until he couldn't take it anymore. He glared up at the ceiling with an annoyed huff.

"Quit crying, old man!" Yoongi remarked.

"Y-Yoongi, you're so mean..." Seokjin whined.

"He's going to say worse things when he's older." Yoongi rolled his eyes.

"No..." Seokjin didn't want to believe it. You sat up, seeing him look so depressed. Your eyes drifted over to Jungkook who looked incredibly uncomfortable. He didn't know whether to apologize again or ignore it.

"Just cheer up and go to bed, alright? We're going to be busy tomorrow." Yoongi sighed.

"Okay..." Seokjin nodded his head. Things were looking good again! You laid back down with a smile. Hopefully no more trouble will arise! That's what you thought. Yoongi jumped to feel something hit his face. You quickly looked at him, seeing it was a gummy bear in a tiny wrapper.

"The f*ck is this?" Yoongi plucked it off his face.

"A token of my appreciation," Seokjin answered.

"...fine, thank you." Yoongi groaned, setting it aside.

"I hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will."

"It's watermelon flavored." Seokjin smiled.

Yoongi mouthed 'jesus christ' and quietly questioned how that guy managed to become his favorite teacher. Though he was acting like this, you knew he knew the reason why. Maybe it was this weird crap that Seokjin was doing that was partly the reason. Whatever the reason was, the boys actually managed to be quiet for a minute. Finally. You were slowly going crazy at this rate. Laying on your left side, you noticed Hoseok waving at you before hiding behind Namjoon. Okay then. Well, you hope that's the end of the nonsense for tonight. You closed your eyes for what you hoped would actually lead you to sleep this time. The anxiousness for tomorrow was leaving you as your body grew too tired to care. It was time to sleep now.

"I like watermelon flavor," Jimin's gentle voice suddenly spoke.

"I prefer blueberry," Taehyung said.

"I'll like all flavors except for grape." Jungkook shivered.

"What!? That's the second best!" Taehyung frowned.

"You're crazy!" Hoseok joined in.

"Grape is my favorite..." Yoongi mumbled.

"It tastes like cough medicine, Yoongi-ya!" Seokjin winced, getting cheers of agreement from his nephew.

"Why are you guys like this?" You frowned as Namjoon opened his eyes.

"Guys, for the love of anything that is holy just—Go. To. Sleep," The leader demanded. The rustling of sleeping bags followed, but you were sure they got the memo this time. Namjoon sighed and nodded at you when you mouthed 'thank you' to him. "Good night everybody."


	48. First Round

Ch.48

"Get up!" You were standing in the living room with your phone held high up in the air. The boys all groaned as you raised the volume higher. Currently, your phone was blaring its alarm and screaming at them to wake up. None of them looked like they wanted to comply. It was five in the morning and you understood the fact that they wanted to sleep in longer. It was a Saturday and you're sure their sleeping bags are a hundred times warmer than the cool air you were standing in. That didn't matter. "Up and at 'em, Boys!"

Placing your foot on Yoongi's back, you tried shaking him. Yoongi was beginning to hiss at the movement. Hopefully he gets the memo because you're too nervous to keep messing with the tiger. Namjoon was the first to get up, rubbing his eyes and sitting for a minute. Hoseok lifted up next with a tired expression. That's when a brilliant idea popped in your head. Rushing to the blinds, you open them up to let the sunlight enter. The boys all began groaning even though there wasn't that much sunlight to begin with. It was still a bit too early in the morning. Seokjin got up, muttering at the younger ones to start waking up already.

Jungkook huffed as he sat up. He wanted to do the contest but wanted five more minutes of sleep. Jimin was the same way as he stared at the wall across from him with a blank face. Last but not least, Taehyung remained cocooned in his sleeping bag. Did he not hear you or Seokjin? You walked over to him, bringing your phone closer. The sound of the alarm got the boy to scrunch his face. He shook his head and tried covering his ears. You giggled when he repeated 'noisy' multiple times. That's what you were going for. Namjoon crawled over to Taehyung, pinching the boy's arm. That finally jolted him awake.

"Ah! Why would you do that?" Taehyung whined, faking a sob.

"You're fine." Namjoon stood up, dragging himself over to the bathroom.

"How many bathrooms does this place have?" Hoseok asked.

"Three," Taehyung answered.

"Y'all f*ckers rich." Yoongi chuckled as he stretched his arms.

"We're well off! That's what hyung says." Taehyung smiled.

"Rich," Yoongi repeated, laughing at the way Taehyung pursed his lips. The puppy didn't like his brother's words getting ignored. There wasn't much he could do about it. Yoongi got up to find the second bathroom. That's when Seokjin ran to find the third one, refusing to wait in line for the bathroom. Jungkook bounced up on his feet, shouting for his uncle to share the bathroom. He ran after him and you were left with three. Taehyung slowly got up, walking into the same bathroom his brother was in. Though Namjoon shouted at him, Taehyung instantly told him that they were brothers. He's seen everything at this point.

"Hopefully, Yoongi finishes up quick." Hoseok smiled at you and Jimin. "I'm super excited for today."

"Me too!" Jimin nodded, letting out a tiny yawn. "I'm ready to perform my heart out!"

"You guys are going to do so well!" You clapped your hands. "Do you want me to record you guys?"

"Yes, please!!" Jimin instantly replied. "I want a still camera that won't always move on us."

"That's true," Hoseok said. "It took me a while to learn which cameras are recording, but you just have to find that red dot."

"I was practicing my facial expressions for when I dance. Our song is kind of manly...do you think I can't pull that off?" Jimin frowned.

"You're thirteen. You still have a couple years ahead of you, Jiminie." Hoseok ruffled his pink hair. Jimin giggled and took off his hyung's hand. "I'm sure puberty will do you justice. You're my little dongsaeng after all!"

"Done." Yoongi entered the living room. He yawned covering his mouth as Hoseok allowed Jimin to go before him. The baby chick ran off by the time Namjoon left Taehyung alone in the bathroom. Both Yoongi and Namjoon were cleaned up for the day. Any makeup they'll need will be applied by professional makeup artists the contest has. They had their outfits in Seokjin's car and they were all here, almost ready to take on the day.

"Thanks for waking us up," Namjoon said. "How long have you been up?"

"Since four in the morning!" You stated to see all three of them look mortified. Their jaws dropped and they had to quickly put themselves together. You could understand their disbelief. You woke them up exactly an hour later. Why did you wake up so early? Well, to make their lunches of course. It was just simple sandwiches but making seven with extra little snacks takes time. "Aw, don't look so shocked!"

"I'm so sorry for taking a while to get up." Yoongi went down on his knees. He proceeded to bow deeply to your dismay. What is he doing!? You were about to lift him up as quick as possible, telling him he had nothing to be sorry about. Then you soon realized that Yoongi wasn't bowing down as an apology. He was lying back down on the floor again to sleep. Namjoon laughed and Hoseok shook his head with a grin on his face. Let's just say there wasn't a grin on your face.

"I worked hard to wake you up! Don't make my life harder!" You nudged him with your foot.

"Come on, Yoongi." Namjoon motioned for him to get up. "Seokjin is going to be making us breakfast today too."

"He is!? Hell yeah!" Hoseok jumped onto his feet, seeing that Seokjin and Jungkook left the bathroom. He rushed to hug the both of them excitedly. They were baffled at his sudden actions. Hoseok then bolted off to shut himself in the bathroom.

"I'M DONE!!" Taehyung walked out.

"You don't have to tell everyone!" Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I just thought you'd like to know." Taehyung rushed to hug his brother, his boxy grin appearing on his face.

A smile instantly came on your face. Seeing moments like this between these two made you happy. There has been a lot of improvement with how they treat each other. Namjoon no longer acts coldly but does tease like a normal older brother will. Then Taehyung continues to love Namjoon but dials it down. The only thing that has stayed the same is the weird things that leave Taehyung's mouth. Jungkook was snickering at the blue hair's comment while Seokjin told Jungkook to have manners. Jungkook instantly looked offended. Seokjin then entered the kitchen to get breakfast ready. The boys needed to hurry up if they wanted to arrive on time.

Soon Jimin came out, joining the rest of you at the kitchen table. Seokjin was handing everyone their portion of eggs. There was also a small sweet bread that you guys could eat too. Seokjin grabbed one and Jungkook was instantly eyeing it. The maknae couldn't reach the bread so he began reaching for Seokjin's. The bunny's hand was smacked away without warning. Jungkook was beyond offended and hurt at this point. He kept a light glare on his uncle who easily began to feel guilty. The teacher tried handing his bread to Jungkook in an attempt to feed him, but Jungkook pushed his hand away and muttered that he didn't want bread anymore.

Seokjin frowned and told the boy not to act childishly. Things immediately got awkward at the table. It's not like it was Namjoon scolding Taehyung. It was an uncle and a nephew. Letting out a sigh, you handed Jungkook a bread. He shook his head and here's where your acting skills as a manger had to come out. Right away, you made sure your facial expression gave away how taken aback you were by his response. Jungkook watched you with a frown as you admitted that you didn't want things to go wrong today. Acting like you were super stressed, you made sure to make it look like you were going to cry if he didn't take your bread.

"N-Noona, I'm sorry. I'll eat your bread." Jungkook took it.

"And take your uncle's too." You faked a sniffle. Jungkook nodded, taking it from Seokjin and doing his best to stuff them both in his mouth. Seokjin was amused by your little show. Your friends were biting back laughter while Jimin and Taehyung thought you were serious.

"I'll eat a bread too, Noona!" Jimin shouted.

"Alright, eat that sh*t." Namjoon automatically stuffed a bread in the boy's mouth. Jimin shouted what you could only assume was 'hyung'. It was a little hard to hear with his mouth full of bread. Hoseok glared at his friend and handed milk to Jimin.

"Can we watch cartoons?" Taehyung asked.

"Finish your food," Hoseok said.

"We don't have time." Yoongi reminded.

"Ten more minutes before we have to go!" You stood up with a clean plate. They all nodded their heads, eating a little faster with less talking.

Seokjin wanted to do dishes, but there was no time. Namjoon told him that he didn't care if the dishes were dirty. They'll worry about it later. Hoseok shivered at the thought. There was nothing that could be done about it. All of you had to go. Everything was packed up as you all squished yourselves in Seokjin's car. He began driving in the direction of the outdoor venue. The contest was being held outside so you would most likely be in the sun for a long while. At least it wasn't going to be too hot today and it's most likely that this will go until eight at night. You have a sweater packed with you just in case! You're ready for anything tonight! You have your phone fully charged, a portable charger, and the lunches in your arms. You'll give it to them once you guys arrive.

The strange thing though was the slight traffic entering the parking lot. There were so many news vans blocking the area. People were standing outside with large cameras. The younger boys were curious while the rest of you were worried. It wasn't regular paparazzi. Nothing to catch attention or promote the contest. Someone directing the competition was speaking through a megaphone, telling them to leave. They were blocking the way for many of their contestants and staff. Furrowing your brows, you weren't sure what was going on until some of them started to crowd the car in front of you guys. It was alarming how they didn't listen whatsoever.

"You with the pink hair! Are you perhaps one of the victims of—" A reporter asked before the car started honking. They all scowled before their eyes stared into Seokjin's car. All of you could hear Jimin swallow hard, growing uncomfortable. Hoseok came to the rescue as he put his orange beanie on Jimin's head. Yoongi and Namjoon helped with trying to hide all his pink hair under the beanie. Slowly, the car moved forward. All the reporters narrowed their eyes on you guys.

"Excuse me. Kid with the beanie." One obnoxious reporter began knocking on the window. Jimin did his best to act calm. Luckily, Yoongi gave the reporter a vicious look and that shut them up. Seokjin let out a huge sigh of relief when he could finally drive the car into the contestant side of the parking lot.

All of you checked on Jimin if he was okay. News of the pink haired boy hadn't really died down with the contest happening. A lot of the reporters wanted to find some kind of story, claiming it was free promotion of the competition. Though of course, the competition doesn't want that type of news surrounding it. None of you would ever force Jimin to confess. Even now, Jimin shook his head and told you guys that he didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to focus on the contest already. It's what all of you came here for anyway.

Seokjin parked the car as close as he could towards the tents staff had set up for the teams participating. Everyone got out of the car one by one. The trunk was popped open to get the box filled with school uniforms. Seokjin would carry the boxes while Namjoon headed towards the sign in table. He got the group BTS signed in and was handed multiple name tags. All of them reading BTS with each individual member's names. You carried their lunches as a staff member pointed out which tent was specifically for BTS. Once their eyes fell on you, they pulled out a lanyard. What's this? You felt excited when they handed it to you. It was basically a card saying you had authorization to be with the boys. All you had to do was write your name on it.

Things were getting extremely exciting. It's finally happening! The contest everyone has been working so hard towards for months has finally arrived. You never thought this day would actually come. It always felt like a day that was in the far future. You felt butterflies inside of you as you began to set down their lunches on a table. The space wasn't too huge. It was decent though so you couldn't complain much. There was a table with some complimentary snacks, seven foldable chairs for the boys and ten cold water bottles. Outside of the tents, there was a screen that was currently black. It would be showing the performances once the competition starts. They also had a bunch of runners with headsets whose jobs were to call and get groups ready to perform. They'd be making sure this all runs smoothly.

Jimin excitedly made his way to the snack table. He pointed it out to his friends as they all grabbed a muffin for themselves. You had a feeling they would gravitate towards it right away. Seokjin told them to not eat too much before performing. Eat at least one hour before performing at the latest. Namjoon opened up the box, ordering them to all change so they could get mic'd up. Hoseok and Yoongi looked at you automatically. Hoseok smiled awkwardly while Yoongi was blushing lightly. This was your cue to go. Rushing out of the tent, you quickly closed it so they could have privacy. You'll just stand in front of it and wait for them to finish.

"Done!" Hoseok shouted.

"I'm coming in!" You opened up the cloth door and squealed. They were all dressed in their school uniforms. The outfits you ordered were simple and technically not real uniforms. It was mainly black blazers, white dress shirts, black dress pants, and then they had freedom to wear whatever shoes they wanted. As long as it was a dark color and they could dance in it. For the most part, they were all dressed in black and white. Your heart swelled with joy to see them all dressed up. "Wow...you all look so handsome! You're all going to steal the viewers hearts!"

"Which means more votes for us!" Taehyung cheered.

"Yay!" Jimin high fived his friend.

"Kind of weird seeing Seokjin hyung in a school uniform." Jungkook shrugged. Seokjin tried to hide the pain on his face to be called 'hyung' by his nephew. He took it in and only nodded. He found it strange on him to, but it looked pretty natural to you.

"Hey, it makes you look younger." Yoongi grinned.

"I am young!" Seokjin huffed.

"Yep. Our twenty-one year old hyung." Hoseok winked.

"Right..." Seokjin sighed.

"Let's keep it together." Namjoon stepped in. "I just want to remind everyone here that we all represent one team. Let's be polite to others and respectful. No teasing other teams or acting competitive, alright? We all have a reason for being here so let's be civil and celebrate each other's hard work and talent. Understood?"

"Wow, Hyung! You always know what to say!" Taehyung clapped.

"We got it. Don't worry about us." Yoongi nodded, letting his body drop in a seat.

"As if I would ever be mean to a stranger!" Hoseok frowned.

"We can't be competitive?" Jungkook furrowed his brows. "But this is a competition..."

"Nothing wrong with wanting to do your best and win, but you also need sportsmanship." You patted Jungkook's shoulders. He slowly nodded his head as two staff members announced if they could enter the tent. Namjoon gave them permission. One of them was holding a box of microphone equipment while the other was ready to put them on the members. The boys went up one by one, getting the microphones attached to their clothes. You watched silently as the staff did it quickly and quietly. Tape was applied to the tiny microphones near their mouth so it would stay near the source of their voices. Once all of them had it on, they were told a certain time to head towards the stage for a sound check to make sure their microphones were working just fine.

You continued to spend time with the boys. Hearing other groups test their mics over the loudspeakers. As soon as they were cleared, another group went up. They were going in alphabetical order, so it wasn't long before BTS went. It was going to be a quick process so you decided to wait in the tent. Before they went to the stage, Namjoon left the cloth door wide open. Just something so cool air would enter the tent. It would easily heat up otherwise to your surprise. With a cool water bottle in your hand, you stayed seated and did nothing. You wonder what other types of groups they're up against. You only got a glimpse during their tech rehearsal that one time. Drinking your bottle, you went over it in your head again. Twenty-one groups and five will be eliminated today. From there will be sixteen groups then eleven. Soon only six will be left before the single winner takes it all.

It still made you nervous with how brutal the elimination process was. They eliminated five each time. It sounded like such a high number in your head. Maybe because that meant a higher chance for your boys to be one of those groups. No. You didn't want to start thinking that way. Shaking your head, you took another large gulp of water. As you tried to distract yourself with water, you overheard familiar voices. Soon four figures were passing by your tent. Out of complete surprise, you began choking on your water. D*mn it! Why are you surprised? Of course they're here! You just didn't think you would be seeing them so early on! You thought you would only see them on stage performing their song.

"Wait! Is that Cha (F/n)!?" Hyunoh went straight towards you. He was smiling widely, actually happy to see you. By this time, you had finally stopped coughing to stare at the H4 properly without embarrassing yourself any further.

"H-Hello." You croaked out.

"Did we scare you?" Hyunwoo chuckled. He tilted his head, his large glasses becoming crooked. That's when you finally noticed their outfits. They mainly kept a red, white, and black theme in their clothes. Nothing looked too expensive and there was clear freedom in their outfits as long as it fit the color scheme.

"Oh no...just took me by surprise is all." You cleared your throat.

"Is this where your boys are staying at?" Hyunwook inspected the place carefully. Hyunwoo quickly noticed and scoffed, stating that theirs looked exactly the same way.

"Yep. They're currently getting ready to do a microphone check," You stated as you crossed your arms. You couldn't help it. With Hyunoh, you wanted to act friendly. It's just Hyunwook that you want to be rivals with. Hyunwoo seems nice and then you obviously don't have anything against Hyunho. That's when you realized something. Hyunho had his eyes intensely on you. For the first time, he wasn't staring off and doing whatever he wanted. His eyes refused to move from you even when Hyunwoo walked past him. You instantly took another big gulp from your water bottle. At this rate, you're going to have to get another one. "A-Are you guys just walking around?"

"Yeah, just enjoying our time here and stuff. Saying hi to other contestants too!" Hyunoh smiled.

"We figured we might as well get acquainted with these people." Hyunwoo nodded. "They might be some big names one day."

"And we'll be a big name too," Hyunwook clarified.

"Obviously." Hyunwoo rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to stay here the entire time, (F/n)?" Hyunho finally spoke. The rest quieted down, not wanting to interrupt him. You blinked at him for the first couple seconds. He's talking to you! Quick, say something!

"Uh, no." You shook your head. Get it together! You're ridiculous! "I'm just staying back here while we wait for the competition to start. Once they start recording, I'll be in the audience watching."

"Hm, I see...hopefully, I can spot you," Hyunho said as your eyes widened. What is this? You weren't sure if you could trust your ears. Was he saying that in a friendly way or in a flirty way? Your cheeks heated up at his comment. Did his teammates not hear him at all? You then noticed Hyunwoo and Hyunwook bickering. Hyunoh sighed, focusing on them compared to Hyunho who kept a small smirk on his face. He finally looked away from you and continued walking without the others.

"Guys, knock it off for real this time!" Hyunoh begged.

"It's just funny seeing this hyung's reactions!" Hyunwoo laughed.

"It's really not funny," Hyunwook said through gritted teeth.

"Oh! Where's Hyunho hyung?" Hyunwoo puffed out his bottom lip in confusion. He then saw you pointing behind him. All of them thanked you as they ran after him.

Now you were finally left alone and in peace. You let out a heavy sigh that you were holding in the second you began panicking about Hyunho. Then your mind being the way it is quickly imagined if he had winked at you. A squeal left your lips and you had to cover your mouth. This is so bad! You groaned, wishing your Dad had been less dramatic about you being around boys. You get crushes on them so easily since you know it won't happen! At least crushes don't last. They're all based on your first impression of them and their looks. You just needed this one to go away. Though your crushes in the past always made you blush and squeal, you never really felt your heart react in a crazy way. That must be a good sign.

The only times your heart has ever lost it around a boy...you looked back on the time when Yoongi pretended to kiss you in front of Midnight Measure. That was strange. Then that time when he was getting way too close to you in front of his mom. Calling himself your first boyfriend and stuff like that. You immediately chugged down more water as your mind wandered onto Hoseok. How sometimes you just hug him out of nowhere and it feels right. After taking him to the hospital for his ankle, the two of you leaned against each other at the bus stop. Hoseok kissed your forehead and it felt like your stomach was performing flips. And then that time the two of you hugged each other tightly while crying in front of his mom's hospital room. You don't know if you've ever let yourself be that vulnerable in front of somebody before. Another heavy gulp of water.

As if those thoughts weren't torture, your mind began to think of Namjoon. Compared to the other boys, it felt like you were more confident around him. Almost to the point where your behavior could be considered flirty. Once Taehyung confirmed that Namjoon thought you were cute from the second he laid eyes on you, it fueled your ego. You had no problem teasing him and enjoyed the way he would blush around you. The way he would get jealous and get upset anytime the other boys got too friendly with you. Then there was that one time that you called yourself his girlfriend to Jimin's dad! Where did that confidence come from? Who even are you!? Though not gonna lie, Hyunho was supposed to be another superficial crush. You weren't sure as it continued. You attempted to drink more water, but you ran out. Now you were only sucking air and hearing the loud crinkle of a plastic bottle tightening itself.

"You look like you're having a mental break down." Yoongi appeared at the tent.

"Did we leave you alone for too long or something? Miss us?" Hoseok laughed, stepping into the tent. You glared at them, not enjoying the way your heart was continuing to beat wildly around them. Who was the main cause though?

"Are you okay, (F/n)? You don't look so good..." Namjoon crouched down to place his hand against your forehead. You almost stopped breathing to have him so close. This is not f*cking good at all. _They're your friends_. It might actually be better to fall for their rival.

"I-I'm fine!" You insisted. "Don't worry about me!"

"What? Imagining how hot we're going to look on stage?" Yoongi grinned. At this moment, you felt yourself finally calming down.

"Oh! You should be the girl to toss her bra at us!!" Hoseok looked way too excited. You began to grimace, no longer feeling the intense feeling you were a few seconds ago. Now you just wanted to strangle them.

"Guys!" Namjoon huffed at them. He turned around, pulling them close to scold them. At least that's what you thought. "_Her panties is what we want_." Then they all began to snicker.

You thought you could trust Namjoon.

"I'm going to beat all of you up once this thing is f*cking over, you hear me?" You growled. That's it. Just for that, you'll hit on Hyunho once you build up the courage. They're lucky you didn't smack any of them.

"What's going on?" Seokjin entered the tent with the little zoo trailing behind him.

"Your rappers are complete perverts." You sighed.

"Hyung, seriously?" Taehyung scoffed.

"What!?" Namjoon blushed bright red.

"Taehyung f*cking knows!!" Yoongi hollered.

"Hoseok hyung is suspicious too," Jimin added.

"Don't expose me like that, little man." Hoseok pointed at him.

"...I think Hyung-nim is classy." Jungkook walked over to a seat. That caused an uproar right away. While Yoongi clapped at Jungkook's response, Hoseok and Namjoon had a lot to say about that. You didn't care. They were all perverts.

The only good thing was that time began to fly by. An audience was beginning to form in the open area in front of the stage. Music was playing as people waited, cameras ready to go live. Hosts were already on the stage and patiently waiting to speak to the crowd. You sat in a really good area in the middle near the front. It was thanks to your badge that you got such a good seat. You didn't even have to pay either! These are the true perks to being manager! In your seat, you were one of the few people who had banners already made. Yours was for your boys! Other people must have seen the promotional photos that Soar Entertainment, the company hosting the competition, was posting. You were reading names for groups you hadn't even heard of.

It wasn't long before the seats filled up. That's good because you were getting tired of waiting. You were excited to cheer on every group and then scream your heart out for BTS. That's when a loud voice boomed over the speakers, letting everyone know that they will be recording in one minute. Everyone quieted down instantly after hearing that. The celebrity hosts walked onto the stage, introducing themselves to the crowd. They were people under the same company hosting the competition. They would also be the people judging the contest in a way. The crowd began cheering as they read their lines and introduced the concept of the entire competition.

The two hosts walked away as a video played on the giant screen. Exciting music played as it introduced each group at a time. Stating the name of the group before showing pictures of them and playing short videos of them during tech rehearsal. Once BTS appeared on the screen, you screamed your heart out and wildly shook your banner. These are your boys and you're going to be hyping them no matter what! Even if the rappers need a talking to!

After the video, the hosts came back on stage to announce the first group to come out. Everything was being done in alphabetical order so the first group to come out started with an 'A' meaning BTS would be coming out soon. People in the crowd were whispering, wondering if they would reach their standards and deserved a vote. Biting your lip, you wondered how good this group of girls could be. The girls all introduced themselves before taking their positions. The music began playing and the technical aspects were coming in with the lights and fog. Everyone in the crowd was silent until the first girl began to sing. You had to admit that even you were cheering out of pure excitement.

The entire time, it felt like you were at a concert. So many groups were performing that you felt like you were getting a free show. A lot of them felt like good rookies. You clapped for the fourth group that had just finished. The hosts came on stage, announcing BTS while stating the introduction you had emailed them to say. Eye catching choreography and intense stage presence. You clasped your hands together as the seven boys walked out onto the stage. Squealing loudly, you were rooting for them so much. You just hoped you weren't annoying the girl next to you. That's when the camera zoomed in on Seokjin's face as he introduced himself as the oldest. The camera certainly didn't do that for the other boys. The girl next to you gasped, whispering to her friend in hushed giggles. That's right! Take in Seokjin's amazing visuals!

You remained proud as all of them got into formation. Things felt like they were in slow motion. All you could hear was the sound of your heart beating against your chest. Please do well. You know they can do it. All seven of them were facing away from the crowd in their uniforms. You held your phone up, recording as best as you could. The music began playing and they all turned around with smug smirks. Jumping on your feet, you held up your banner with your other hand out of pure joy. These were your boys and they worked so hard for this moment!! Jungkook was in center, the shy bunny now singing on stage like he owned the entire venue. That's your precious maknae!

"_I want to be your oppa. I'm so hungry for your love. I want to be your oppa. I'll have you, just watch~!_"

All seven of them performed with every ounce of energy they had in them. The second they started dancing and singing, you knew they were born to be on the stage. They were meant to perform together. Even if they're all so different and didn't expect to be here together. Yoongi is right. Seokjin should seriously consider changing his current career. Your grin wouldn't shrink at all once Namjoon began rapping. You screamed your heart out for all the boys that you knew your voice would become hoarse by the end of the night. Hoseok jumped out of nowhere, getting the crowd hyped up with his catchy rap. Then the choreography during Yoongi's rap is honestly one of your favorite parts.

"BTS!!!" You screamed as they finished. The boys stood still for a couple seconds before lining up together. They all bowed to the audience, grateful for the chance to perform. As they were walking off, they spotted you and waved. They continued to wave to everyone else as they walked off stage.

If this were Midnight Measure, you would be running to go hug them backstage. It sucked that you couldn't do it right now. You had to wait! It felt so strange holding in so much adrenaline and excitement. There was no one around you for you to squeeze the air out of. The only thing left for you to do was to cheer for the next group. A couple more groups went by and they were good too, but you were biased. BTS was your absolute favorite. Their performance was something better than most of the rookies here. There was real potential in them that you hoped the audience was able to see.

"Next we have D-Crunch, a group whose performance is strong enough to even crush the hardest substance on earth like diamonds." They clapped their hands.

All nine members were walking onto the stage. Holding in your breath, you couldn't believe they were finally performing. Your stomach twisted inside. Though you wanted BTS to win, you wished them luck too. At the same time, you didn't want them to take BTS's chance of winning. It was a little inner conflict that you didn't have time for. By the time you shook it off, the boys were done with their introductions. They got into position and you were already anticipating something good. Hyunoh stood in the center while the rest were in parallel lines of four. Their song started to play and Hyunoh was dancing beautifully to the piano keys. Once the string instruments came in, four of the members began to join the choreography. It was looking really pretty so far.

The first to rap was Sangchan who's also known as O.V. Right after him was Hyunho and you hid your warm cheeks behind your banner. This is embarrassing. Jeongseung then began rapping followed by Chanyoung. You didn't even notice that you were smiling. Hyunoh began to sing and you were silently cheering them on. Soon Hyunwook came into the center with a smile as he sang. He barely sang two words before the music cut out completely. They didn't have their music playing at all anymore. Hyunwook's smile twitched, but he kept it there as he continued singing his lines. Some people in the crowd had gasped lightly and were whispering. What happened to their music?

"Please clap for us!" Sangchan quickly shouted into the mic before the singing continued. People hollered, trying to stay bright for the group who were suffering technical difficulties.

The boys continued to perform without slipping up. They didn't want to show any stress or panic on their faces. You were really impressed considering they were rookies. Clapping your hands for them, they sang and tried to make the performance exciting even if they didn't have their music playing. It was kind of nice to just hear their plain voices. People could hear that they did indeed have talent without needing a backing track. They were quickly adapting to the lack of audio coming from the speakers. Though you knew it would have been more exciting with music, you were still enjoying their song. You cheered as Hyunoh sang with no one else singing along with him.

"_The night sky, my last night. I'm afraid of tomorrow, every night I hope not. I know your feelings can do it last time. I know you, don't worry that's enough_." Hyunoh sang. After him was Hyunwook, walking through all the members calmly.

"_Call me when you're in trouble. If there is no trouble, everything is boring. Keep it all your feeling. Don't worry about it, don't worry your good way~!_" Hyunwook sang.

"Thank you so much!" Sangchan said which received him a lot of cheers. Everyone was supporting them at this point. Out of sympathy or talent, you knew they would be getting enough votes to stay for the second round.

Hyunoh was in the center of a circle, chanting what must have been the beat for the song. It went along with the choreography and that's when Hyunwook separated from the rest of the members to sing individually. You soon stopped clapping once he hit a high note, shocked and speechless. Okay, D-Crunch. Hyunwook continued to do adlibs as the rest sang together. Despite the loss of their music, you had to admit that even if they did get into the second round, they deserved it. Having them as rivals was only becoming more thrilling. Once the song finished, everyone was clapping and cheering.

"Well done! Well done! Wow, a true live performance by boy group, D-Crunch!" The female host walked over to them with loads of excitement. Though everyone was clapping for them, you could see how some of them had tight smiles. They were forced and it was only obvious on the younger members. Almost like they just wanted to get off stage after the technical hiccup.

Namjoon's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

All of us were sweating buckets. There was a ton of adrenaline still inside of us as we took off our coats in the tent. We would leave the rest on, but it just got way too hot. Though the sun was close to setting now so we would be expecting cool air any second now. As soon as the tent door was closed, we all began screaming like a bunch of wild animals. The walls of the tent did nothing to hide our pure excitement. Luckily, our mics were off at the moment. We could be as loud as we wanted and we certainly were. I felt like crying, but I also felt overjoyed! Everyone was jumping around like complete and total idiots.

Yoongi had the biggest smile that I had ever seen on his face. It was like our debut day! Hoseok's eyes were watery and Jimin was becoming the same way. Taehyung hugged me right away and I hugged him so incredibly tight. He did so well. I'm so proud of him. There's no one else I would want to have as my younger brother. Suddenly, I felt people add themselves to our hug. Hoseok was there and so was Jimin. Next thing I know, Yoongi, Seokjin and Jungkook came in. We were all so happy. Loud, sweaty, and ready to do backflips off of cars. Anything! I was still feeling the performance high.

"All of you did so f*cking well. You guys got that?" I held them all as tight as I could.

"I saw Noona cheering for us in the crowd!" Taehyung smiled.

"The crowd was huge! I still can't feel my legs!" Jimin giggled.

"I want to keep doing this!" Jungkook nodded his head.

"I'm sure we'll get another chance next Saturday." Hoseok winked, implying we'll get into the second round.

"D*mn right we will!" Yoongi hollered.

"We better! I didn't work my @ss off for nothing!!" Seokjin laughed. We all did, slowly breaking the group hug.

"Gosh, I wish (F/n) was here..." I panted. The rest of the boys nodded their heads with me. She's our manager and has seen us put all our hard work into BTS. I also wanted to be the first one to hug her. There was just that urge in me to hold her tight. Trust me, if I could I would kiss her too. Ever since the first day of school, I thought she was the most attractive girl I had every seen which was strange. I usually never focused on girls too much. Then we kept talking and now we're friends which is better than anything I could have ever asked for. The only problem is that as we continue to know each other, my annoying crush grows stronger. I need it to calm the f*ck down for a second though.

"Yeah, I need (F/n) here as my girlfriend and not my manager for a hot minute." Hoseok smirked. My eye twitched, but I kept a friendly smile. We never told each other directly but we're all doing our best to stay at the same level. It's clear that flirting still happens, but we'll see who (F/n) goes for in the end.

"She's my girlfriend first. Wait in line." Yoongi sighed after taking a big gulp of water.

"You hyungs are weird," Taehyung stated.

"You got that right." I chuckled. Walking over to the table, I got my own water bottle to cool down with. Everyone else was seated and trying to relax from the performance. Except for our maknae. Jungkook was taking a peek outside of tent, trying to be secretive as he watched whatever was going on outside. My brows furrowed together before I finally decided mentioning it. "Everything okay, Jungkookie?"

"Oh!" Jungkook jumped into the air. He turned around, nervous and fidgety. "W-Well...I was hoping to watch D-Crunch perform. I just saw them head towards the backstage area."

"Oh right! They're performing, huh?" Hoseok leaned over to look at the maknae.

"We can't just watch our rivals through the monitors. We gotta watch 'em live." Yoongi smirked. "See what they got."

"Yes!! I want to see them live and see if I can apologize to Dylan!" Jimin bounced. "I apologized to Ho-hyung, but not to Dylan."

"Can we, Hyung?" Taehyung looked at me with big eyes. Sometimes he was like a little puppy to me. Wagging his tail anytime he asked for permission for things he really wanted to do.

"Let's go! I'll take you, Kookie!" Seokjin grabbed his nephew's hand. Jungkook cheered and threw his fist in the air.

"H-Hey! I'm the leader!" I huffed.

"You took too long," Seokjin replied back.

"Yes, Taehyung, we can. Come on, let's go so we don't miss any of it." I motioned my head towards the exit of the tent. Taehyung instantly took my hand, happily walking with me. Hoseok and Yoongi followed us with Jimin happily skipping between them.

The seven of us arrived to the side of stage since we wanted to see D-Crunch perform no matter what. They continuously hyped themselves up so I want to see it for myself. We immediately promised staff that we wouldn't get in the way. Though we could watch them through the backstage monitors, Hoseok was right. We had to see our rivals live and in person. The nine of them walked out on stage to introduce themselves. Eventually they got into formation and began the song. Everything was going fine when the music suddenly cut out. That didn't make sense. Staff backstage were panicking and running wild. They were trying to fix the speakers while others were speaking into their headsets. What was going on with the music?

Taehyung tugged on my sleeve to ask me what was happening. In short, our rivals were experiencing a technical difficulty. It happens and I felt bad right away. The one thing I noticed though was how they continued to perform as if nothing happened. Sangchan did address it when he asked for everyone to clap for them. The staff sighed, knowing they couldn't do anything about it. The members of D-Crunch were handling it professionally anyway. Not gonna lie, seeing them respond to an accident like this was intimidating. Hoseok even gulped and Yoongi let out a heavy sigh. These guys were definitely going to make it into the second round.

They continued to perform, making all of us sweat backstage. Jungkook didn't look too happy when he heard their main vocalist sing his high notes. To be fair, he was the eldest of their group. Our main vocalist was the youngest. He just has more experience is all. Jungkook felt better to hear that, but we were all basically sh*tting our pants. We just wanted to make it to the second round. We had to. We had so many things prepared. D-Crunch finished, leaving us all as big nervous balls of sweat. They handled that very smoothly. That must happen when they've been performing together for so long. BTS only started a couple months ago. Slowly, the members of D-Crunch got off stage without noticing us hiding near equipment.

"Don't cry." Minhyuk frowned.

"My baby, come here." Hyunoh wrapped his arms around Dylan. "We did good despite the surprise."

"It was quite the surprise alright." Hyunwook sighed, running a hand through his lavender colored hair.

"I was so scared," Jeongseung muttered.

"I hope people were still able to see our passion." Chanyoung's voice was shaky. "The music is really important..."

"Chanyoungie! Don't cry!" Hyunoh moved to hug the other boy.

"Guys, Sangchan wants to say something," Hyunho announced. All of them stopped walking away and turned around to face their leader.

"...you think we still have a chance?" Hyunwoo quietly asked.

"Listen...we were able to work together even if it was sloppy and on the spot." Sangchan took in a deep breath. "Our worst nightmare came true, but we managed to pull through. Let's not let this destroy us, okay? We're stronger from this experience and we're going to continue performing with everything we got. Nothing can hurt us anymore."

"But it was embarrassing..." Dylan spoke up. "We're gonna be known as that one group the music cut out for and nothing else..."

Sangchan sighed at the reality of the situation. If they could turn back time, they would have tried to prevent the chance of their music cutting out. They wanted their 'debut' stage to be perfect. Instead there were hiccups and they had to perform acapella. Without music playing behind them, it's easier to spot their mistakes. Plus, a lot of them had to join in spots they aren't originally in so the song didn't sound awkward. I stayed back with my group as I watched Sangchan try to console his group as leader. Right away, I could sympathize with him for the responsibility he must feel even when this wasn't his fault. It was none of their faults, but they did so good anyway. I wanted to tell them that. So I did.

"You guys are proving to be quite the rivals," I said as I walked up to them. The second they heard my voice, they stepped away in panic. They turned to face me and huddled together like a pack. "All nine of you acted professionally despite the music incident. I admit that I'm impressed."

"You are?" Sangchan raised his brow suspiciously.

"Your main vocalist is really good!" Jungkook ran over to my side. Hyunwook blushed right away, shocked at our maknae's outburst.

"Oh...thank you." He smiled shyly.

"And I also wanted to say...Yeonjae, you have nothing to worry about. You were great too," Jungkook said as he stared at the other maknae. Dylan had a small pout, adding to his baby face. He looked a lot younger than he actually was.

"Well thanks. I guess." Dylan sniffled, wiping his nose. He stared down at the ground and refused to look anywhere else. "And it's Dylan."

"Dylan! I wanted to talk to you!" Jimin joined us. At this point, my fellow members began to come out from hiding. They slowly joined me so they wouldn't intimidate our rivals. We didn't want them feeling like we were ganging up on them at all. Dylan didn't look at Jimin at all. He kept his hands in tight fists. Though it hurt Jimin, he kept a smile on his face anyway. "I'm really sorry for what I said about Ho-hyung. I never meant to hurt your feelings at all or speak rudely about your hyung. I acted childishly and already explained it to your hyung."

"I know," Dylan admitted. Jimin's eyes widened to hear this. I heard a little bit of what happened from Hoseok and (F/n). Even I had to agree that Jimin's anger came randomly, but it's good that Jimin recognizes his mistakes. "It's fine now."

"You guys did great! Fighting!" Taehyung cheered.

"Stop that! You're our rivals!" Hyunwoo crossed his arms.

"Let's be honest, we suck at being rivals." Seokjin laughed.

"We're still going to beat you guys though." Hyunwook smirked.

"Is that so?" Yoongi questioned, taking a step closer.

"You won't make it past the first round!" Hyunoh joined in, but just by reading his face we could all tell he didn't mean it. He was too kind and he looked guilty right away.

"Get ready to be taught a lesson." Hoseok grinned at them.

"Try us," Hyunho said. Right away, us rappers narrowed our eyes on him. We were all jealous of him but there was nothing we could do. We all knew how (F/n) was feeling towards him. There was a burn in my chest that I knew Hoseok and Yoongi must have been feeling as well.

"None of you guys are ready for what you're asking for!" Jungkook took a proud stance.

"Talk bigger! I dare ya!" Jeongseung looked happy.

"Better be careful before you all regret it." Chanyoung smiled mischievously.

"I could say the same for you guys." Jimin teased.

"I'm so ready to do the second round already." Dylan was no longer moping around. Seeing the competitive nature of everyone, he was back on his feet. No one was too hostile as they spoke to one another. It was almost playful and natural, though we did mean what we said in a sense. We wanted to beat them. We wanted to win the competition and they wanted to do the same. We just hoped that they made it to the final round with us.

"D-Crunch is going to put you guys in your place." Sangchan stood in front of me with a smirk.

"I'd love to see your little attempts." I was thrilled. "BTS is untouchable."

*~*

An hour passed and all the groups had performed on stage. Currently, they were on commercial break as they gathered the votes. You already sent your vote for BTS. With your hands clasped together, you were hoping for the best. There were so many groups that the votes might be really thin. The boys might lose by fifty or barely make it in by thirty. After seeing all the performances, you knew that they had decent competition against them. Though you did think three groups in total weren't going to make it in no matter what. It wasn't to be mean, but they needed a lot more work if they wanted to stay in the competition and to be an actually successful idol group.

Biting your lip, your eyes soon landed on the male host bringing all the groups onto the big stage. They were all scrunched up. Soon that tight stage would feel almost empty by the final round. Just the thought of that made your throat dry. Your boys can do it. Their performance was practically perfect. The two hosts walked to center stage together, smiling as the camera was getting ready to go live again. Soon they were speaking into their mics as the crowd cheered. It's happening! The results are in!! You were internally screaming as the hosts complimented and thanked the groups for performing. Unfortunately, there would be five groups who would not be moving on to the second round.

Behind the hosts, the groups were looking nervous. Some people looked ready to cry as if they knew they wouldn't be getting in. It was hard to keep your own heart under control. Your stomach was in tight knots as you looked over at your friends. Namjoon had all the boys hold hands. They were holding hands tightly, each of them looking down with tightly closed eyes. Next to them were D-Crunch who were already hugging each other, prepared for anything. The hosts both had lists of all the groups that were able to advance to the next round. To make the torture worse, they would list off one by one the groups that made it. If their group name wasn't called then they didn't get enough votes.

"The groups advancing to the second round in ranks are..." The male host smiled. You swallowed hard as he began to list them one by one. There was no hesitation in his voice which was making your legs turn to jelly. Your nails were beginning to dig into the palm of your hands with how tight your fists were. Groups on stage were screaming and hugging each other when they heard their name. Meanwhile the ones yet to be named were trying not to lose any hope. "Fifth rank...D-Crunch!"

The nine boys erupted into wild cheers. Your heart was fluttering as you watched them celebrate. Hyunoh was already kissing the heads of their youngest members. They were absolutely losing it right next to BTS. Jungkook peeked one eye open to watch them all receive a small trophy. The bunny's lips were twitching, afraid to fall down into a frown. He needed to remain positive. That's when the name 'BTS' left the host's lips. Jungkook opened his other eye as he faced the rest of his members. They all began shouting in complete utter joy. A scream left your mouth as you bounced around. They did it! Covering your mouth with the cloth banner, you were already crying for them.

The knots in your stomach had completely vanished. Now you were relieved that they got what they wanted. All seven of them were hugging each other tightly. Some of them looked ready to cry while the younger ones were already sobbing into their hyung's clothes. Namjoon bowed as he accepted the trophy. Yoongi automatically took it, holding it close to his chest with pride. Once all the groups were listed, confetti was shot out from the canons up front. You continued screaming as the groups all bowed to each other. The hosts told viewers to keep their eye out for the next episode that would be filmed next Saturday for the second round. Five more groups will be eliminated so be sure to vote for your favorite one!

"Sorry, excuse me," You repeated as you left the audience area. The filming was coming to an end and you wanted to be the first one out. You needed to see the boys at their tent to give them the biggest hug. You rushed through the cold air and showed your badge to a security guard. They let you in since filming was over now. With a huge smile on your face, you snuck your way to their tent. You hid behind the cloth door as you heard their voices getting louder. They were all still so happy and so were you. The cloth door was moved to the side and Namjoon froze once he saw you in the room. "SECOND ROUND!!"

"(F/N)!!" Namjoon rushed to hug you. He pulled you into a tight embrace and you quickly felt people piling into the hug. You giggled to see Hoseok and Yoongi smiling at you. Yoongi still hadn't let go of the trophy, ignoring Seokjin when the teacher told him to let Jungkook hold it already. "Did you cry?"

"Me?" You questioned. It was obvious though. You looked like you had just cried a river which was what happened.

"We're going to keep going strong, (F/n)." Hoseok chuckled. "Second round, here we come."

"We got this with I Need You! Let's go!" Yoongi cheered, immediately getting the same reaction from everybody else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: D-Crunch's song is I'm Okay. They actually had a sound difficulties with this song during an event, but continued singing/rapping it acapella. You can find it on Youtube)


	49. Practicing Again

Ch.49

Saturday was the best day ever. Your friends teased you so much for crying, but it's not like they didn't feel emotional too! Everyone was riding on a high wave of emotions. You didn't know what was going to happen next, but the boys wanted to take on the world. They already had their next song ready and knew the choreography. All they have to do is clean it up and make the performance tight like what they did with Boy In Luv. I Need You was a different vibe that you knew a lot of viewers would enjoy. The dance is fun and the song is very catchy. You're already thinking of what to make them wear for their performance!

Before you guys were able to leave the venue, a staff member came with a camera and a flash card. They were going to record short videos of the people who got to go to the second round. These videos would be posted online for viewers to see. It might leave a better impression on people if they see how likeable your boys are. Namjoon huddled all his members together as they introduced themselves and answered how they felt about winning. All of them worded their emotions so perfectly. Even if they were speechless, they were genuine in front of the camera. Staff thanked them, congratulated everyone, and wished you all a good night.

It was an amazing night. Seokjin dropped you off at your place as he took everyone home. Your mind was still fuzzy and all over the place. The second you opened the door, your Dad popped his head out from the kitchen. He rushed to you in an instant out of worry. You had been gone for two entire days because of the sleepover. Hugging him back, you let him know you were fine. Meanwhile behind his back was Mom who was smiling at you. She handled most of the worries Dad must have had while you were gone. As Dad told you about how much he missed his little girl, he soon asked you how it went with the other ladies. Ladies. Right.

"I'm really happy with who my friends are, Appa." You smiled. "I feel like I'm actually happy with my school and friends for once if I'm being honest."

"Really? I'm so glad then." Dad continued to hug you, letting out a sigh of relief. Mom at this point was walking away to enter the kitchen. Dad turned to hear her in the room. You giggled, letting him run off to find her.

"Go be love birds!" You teased.

Dad gave you a little smile that was an attempt to hide just how embarrassed he was. He rushed off to catch his wife, still deep in love as ever. You giggled and returned to your bedroom. After everything that has happened, you're ready to fall asleep. Everything was fine that night. Everyone was able to get back home safely and fall asleep without issues. You had no doubt that they all fell asleep like babies. They advanced to the second level. Joy was still in you as you snuggled yourself in your blankets. Soon you fell asleep and eventually woke up to your phone getting a lot of text messages. What's going on this time?

Grabbing your phone, you picked it up to check the time. It was eight in the morning so it was still kind of early. You slowly sat up in your bed to properly wake yourself up. Rubbing your eyes, you read the texts that were flooding the group chat. It was started by the little zoo celebrating their win. They couldn't believe that last night actually happened. They were posting a ton of articles that were made about the contest. A lot of people were thinking that the concept of this competition was interesting. Genuine talent was being found. Many people and even entertainment companies were impressed with what they saw.

Jimin was losing it when he found an article saying that a major company teamed up with the host company, Soar Entertainment. This only raised the chance of still getting to enter as a trainee even if the boys don't win it all. Scrolling down through your messages, you soon found the other boys joining into the conversation. Namjoon wanted everyone over by ten or eleven in the morning if possible. He wanted them to start practicing the stage for I Need You already. All the boys had to go over their parts and the choreography. You immediately sent them a text that you would be over as quick as you can. The boys should take advantage of this entirely free day. Once school starts tomorrow, a lot of hours will be taken from you guys.

That's when you noticed you were sent an email. The boys would have tech rehearsal on Friday which meant another day that had to be skipped. Forwarding the email to the boys, you got mixed reactions. Some of them were ready to miss school again for the sake of the competition. This was their dream. Though some were hesitant, nervous that they've missed enough school. There was a divide and you understood that. Yoongi, Hoseok, Jungkook, and Taehyung didn't care if they missed another day. They could always make it up. Then there was you, Seokjin, Namjoon, and Jimin. Nervous at the idea of calling in sick again and missing an entire day of school.

Seokjin quickly informed you guys how missing school too much wasn't a good look. Especially if you go to Sehwang Academy. Then the younger boys had to worry about their record looking good to Sehwang if they want to go there. Missing too many days will become suspicious. That's when Yoongi asked how much is too much. Four days. That's how many days you guys need for all the tech rehearsals. Seokjin still didn't like it, but there wasn't much that could be done. You guys just had to miss another day of school to make this work out. Fine. You'll just have to talk to your Mom about this.

That's when you received another message. It was from another group chat you were in between only you and your friends. The one who sent the message was Namjoon. He wanted to know if you guys wanted to quickly meet up at a shop to eat breakfast then come to his house. Eat breakfast with your favorite rappers? You'd love to. Jumping out of bed, you hurriedly changed out of your pajamas. A knock on your door startled you, but you allowed them to come inside. It was Mom and she had her eyebrow raised. Did her Mom senses tingle and she knew something was up? Despite you not telling her anything yet, she already knew you had something to ask her.

"Eomma!" You grinned sweetly.

"Spit it out." She crossed her arms.

"I need to skip school this Friday for the contest. It's for tech rehearsal," You admitted. She sucked in her breath, nodding at your words.

"I see...and this is extremely important to you?" She questioned. "Because I need you to promise me that you're not going to let this affect your school life. I know this idol contest is really cool, but you're still a student."

"I know that and I promise I won't let myself slip up!" You ran up to your Mom, doing your best to give her your best puppy eyes. Something to make her say it was okay already. Mom only rolled her eyes at your attempt to sway her decision.

"I was going to let you anyway. Stop with those eyes." Mom laughed. "It's weird."

"Haha, thanks Eomma!" You kissed her cheek. "I also have to go eat breakfast with the 'girls' today! I'll be gone for a while!"

"I expect a boyfriend soon, (F/n)." Mom smirked as she let you go.

Sighing, you let her think whatever she wanted. That currently wasn't your main focus at the moment. Your mind was too busy screaming about the fact that BTS passed to the second round! You've already listened to I Need You when the boys recorded it and polished it up. It easily became one of your favorites. It's about time people hear that amazing song! The group chat continued to buzz between you and the rappers. Yoongi was complaining that you guys were making him get up earlier than he wanted, but he was on his way. Hoseok was sent a shaky video of him running to the breakfast shop Namjoon suggested. It made you want to laugh as you hurried your way over there.

By the time you finally saw the shop, you saw Yoongi standing there with Namjoon. How did Yoongi get there so fast? You quickly noticed the helmet under his arm. He rode here and he didn't bother picking you up? Panting as you forced your legs to keep moving, you saw Hoseok on the street across from you. The two of you began running harder in order to beat the other first to the spot. You didn't want to be the last one here! Hoseok possibly would have won if he didn't look both ways before crossing the street. That's what slowed him in the end and you made it in front of Yoongi and Namjoon first! Though you won, your lungs were suffering. Then the back of your calves were burning as well.

"No fair!" Hoseok let out a huff. He put his hands on his hips as he regained his breath. At least he wasn't panting as heavily as you were.

"You get to pay for coffee, loser." Yoongi grinned.

"That sounds good to me." Namjoon laughed at Hoseok's unhappy expression.

"That's rough, Hoseokie." You patted his back as the four of you entered the warm shop. It smelled like chestnut and cinnamon. The four of you stood to the side, reading the menu that they had. It was all breakfast and brunch items. The main thing that you felt yourself craving was a steamed egg. It almost looked like soup in a bowl and it was really good! Licking your bottom lip, you tugged out your wallet. The boys soon turned to you once they decided what they wanted to get too.

"Ready to order?" Namjoon asked.

"Yep! I want the steamed egg, so—" You tried to pull out the exact money owed. Namjoon shook his head and pushed down your wallet. Furrowing your brows, you looked up at him in confusion.

"I'll pay for your food, (F/n)." Namjoon smiled.

"Oh!" You blushed.

"I'll pay for your drink!" Yoongi shouted before clearing his throat. He suddenly sniffled as he looked away from you, scratching the back of his head. "Don't pass on this offer. Just saying."

"(F/n), f*ck these guys. I'll pay for anything else you want." Hoseok stepped closer to you. He wrapped his arm around you and you laughed. Once again, you liked where this was going. Though their flirts were extremely obvious, you wanted to take the chance of getting a good breakfast for free.

"You boys better be careful or else I will leave your wallets empty." You warned them. All of them became silent, finally rethinking all their life choices. You laughed and shook your head. It's not like you want the whole menu though. Just a latte with cute art and a cookie. You told them the rest of your order as they began opening up their wallets. You'll pay them back by making their lunches next time again for the contest. Making lunches for seven boys ain't cheap.

Walking over to find a table, you froze to see two familiar faces walking past the window. They didn't notice you since they were talking to each other. A large part of you hoped they kept on walking, but they just had to enter the shop. They quickly felt your gaze once they stepped in. As soon as they made direct eye contact with you, they stopped moving. Only one of them narrowed their eyes on you while the other was curious. How lovely is it that you guys are constantly running into your rivals? Sangchan sighed as he walked over to you. Behind him, Minhyuk followed with a soft smile. He was a lot less harmless than their leader who was acting tough.

"What are you doing here?" Sangchan asked.

"Eating maybe." Minhyuk shrugged.

"Minhyuk..." Sangchan closed his eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Oh, I should have let her answer. Sorry." Minhyuk bowed at you.

"Well, you're not wrong. I'm here with my rappers." You pointed to them. The three of them were talking to the girl behind the counter, listing off everything they wanted. They were a lot louder than they needed to be. You didn't understand why they were whispering yelling at each other and trying to tickle one another at the same time.

"Can't they order food like normal people?" Sangchan questioned.

"I honestly don't think so." You shook your head.

"We're just going to get our food to go," Minhyuk stated, "But (F/n), I really wish Hyunho hyung came here with us."

"H-Hyunho? Why?" You panicked instantly. Why was he bringing him up?

"I just thought you two were friendly with each other. Plus, you're in the same year and we asked if he wanted to come." Minhyuk sighed. "He thought he was too ugly to come out though."

"Ugly!? What bull—!" You bit your lip. Sangchan and Minhyuk were visibly surprised by your reaction. Their eyes widened while you wanted to groan. You raised your voice way too loud. Back at the counter, the three boys turned around to see you talking to their rivals. Their teasing came to a stop as they narrowed their eyes at the scene. "...just trust me. All of you are not ugly so he's delusional."

"Thank you! Hyunoh stayed with him since we don't want him thinking too bad about himself." Minhyuk smiled. Out of all the boys, Minhyuk seemed the closest with Hyunho. Aside from Hyunoh who got along with literally everyone.

"We should get in line to order our food." Sangchan tapped Minhyuk's arm. Minhyuk nodded, the two of them giving you a light bow.

"Don't start a fight with my boys," You instructed. Sangchan sighed, but agreed nonetheless. Hopefully you said that loud enough for your boys to hear that. Namjoon handed the worker money as Yoongi and Hoseok eyed their rivals. Sangchan walked over with his hands up in the air, claiming all he wanted was good food. Minhyuk innocently waved at them and bowed while greeting them. At least a fight never broke out the entire time.

Your friends walked over to the table you chose as the rivals walked out with large bags filled with food. Sipping your drink, you watched them walk away. They had nine mouths to feed. Good luck to them. The three boys sat in the booth with you, automatically asking questions. They wanted to know exactly what those two said to you. Were you threatened at all? Stuff like that. No, you were completely fine with them and had a decent conversation. Nothing too strange. You didn't really mention Hyunho knowing they would begin to act a certain way.

It felt kind of strange if you were being honest. Having them all flirt with you in their own little ways, but still being close friends with you. They never pushed it which you were grateful for. It's just that the line between friends and something more seemed to get blurred a lot. That's why you felt so confused a lot of the time. You seriously need to figure out where you stand with each of them. If you did ever get a boyfriend that wasn't them, you didn't want them acting jealous at all. Then your mind wandered on the idea if you dated one of them. Would the other two accept it? You sipped your coffee as your eyes linger on one of the rappers longer than the others.

"The final song is almost finished." Yoongi leaned back in his seat. You snapped out of your thoughts, paying attention with what was going on.

"Seriously? Does that mean I can finally listen to it and work on my part?" Namjoon tried sounding as casual as possible.

"Nope. No way in hell." Yoongi shook his head. Namjoon groaned instantly, wanting to whine like a child. It was moments like this again when you saw Taehyung and him being similar. "You need f*cking patience."

"I think I'm going to rewrite my part a little bit. It doesn't flow that well. It's kind of awkward with this one part." Hoseok shrugged as a server set down the food you guys ordered. All of you thanked them with smiles. The food looked so good! Steam was leaving your order and it made your mouth want to water. "We'll talk about music later. I'm gonna stuff my food in my mouth."

"I'm with you on that." You smiled as you grabbed your utensil.

The four of you stuffed your mouths. It felt really nice being able to just hang out with your friends outside of school. None of you brought up the contest, wanting to enjoy the moment for what it was. Though you adored the little zoo and Seokjin, you were glad to just spend time with your friends. Everyone was teasing one another. There was nothing off the table. The boys brought up your old crush on Seokjin which made you ready to through your spoon at them. Out of everyone, they loved teasing you the most. Why couldn't they pick on their second favorite, Hoseok?

Telling them to screw off, your voices eventually quieted down to overhear the television playing in the shop. It was discussing the contest that happened yesterday. The only thing was that they weren't doing a segment of who won or things like that. They were only mentioning that the search for the pink haired boy might be put to a stop. According to the officer who claimed it was a boy with pink hair, he never asked the boy. They didn't interact or confirm anything with him. Everything was just based off suspicion so the victim could actually be anyone. All of you sighed, grateful to see that reporters would stop showing up to the contest to make people uncomfortable.

Hoseok sighed as all of you felt bad for Jimin. The poor boy. As the news segment about the search for a pink haired boy being inconclusive was coming to an end, they showed a snippet of all the contestants. Yoongi scoffed once he saw that they inserted a five second clip of BTS performing Boy In Luv. You were able to clearly see the rappers in that clip before it moved on to a girl group. Namjoon winced, embarrassed that an older couple was watching the same clip. They repeatedly looked back and forth between your friends and the clip before it had changed. Yoongi chuckled while Hoseok continued to eat his food.

"Looks like we're famous." Yoongi smirked.

"I hope you don't let it get to your head." You sighed. "Remember me when you're all famous and stuff."

"You're literally our manager though," Yoongi stated.

"Oh right...well, treat your manager with respect." You began to smile. "She works hard."

"And we're very grateful for that," Namjoon said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Best manager ever!" Hoseok winked.

"D*mn right!" You smirked as they all eventually laughed with you.

Soon the four of you finished eating. It was time to head back to Namjoon's place. Mainly because Taehyung called his big brother. He demanded to be put on speaker, telling Namjoon he just wanted to talk to his friends. That's when Taehyung started begging for you guys to return his brother home safely. He was lonely and wanted his brother back. You melted while Hoseok and Yoongi thought it was hilarious. Namjoon immediately took Taehyung off speaker, pink and embarrassed beyond belief. Other people in the shop looked over at your table in confusion. They could have sworn they heard a child sobbing and throwing a fit.

It took Namjoon the entire walk back home to stop blushing. He looked so cute with his face entirely flushed. This time it was your turn to tease him. He clearly didn't enjoy it and hated it even more when his friends joined in. Hoseok and Yoongi were better at making fun of Namjoon. Mainly because you found Taehyung's gesture adorable. Though it sounded like he was having a tantrum, all of you knew that Taehyung was just exaggerating so Namjoon would come back already. Taehyung couldn't stand being alone for more than five minutes. Your surprised he lasted this long. By the time you guys made it to Namjoon's driveway, your heart almost jumped out of your chest. Taehyung had his face pressed up against the window. His eyes intensely watching until he saw his brother. Right away, he unlocked the door and ran to hug his hyung.

"This just makes me want my dongsaeng!" Hoseok pouted as the rest of you entered the house. Namjoon stumbled back, telling Taehyung to never pull something like that again. The mischievous smile on Taehyung's face told him no promises.

"Jiminie is coming soon!" Taehyung grinned.

"Oh really?" Hoseok took a step into the house. In that second, Jimin popped out of nowhere thoroughly terrifying his hyung. You almost had a second heart attack in that moment.

"Boo!" Jimin held his hands up. Hoseok screamed, falling backwards automatically.

"Sh*t!" Yoongi jumped away, not wanting Hoseok to collapse on him. Jimin gasped in surprise at his hyung's reaction. He didn't think Hoseok would get so scared like that. Clutching your chest, you leaned against the wall and refused to move. You just need to calm down. Why were they jumping out of nowhere? This wasn't fun at all. Hoseok was pale and shaking as he tried to assure Jimin that he was fine. Namjoon and Taehyung were slowly stepping inside the house as Yoongi walked over to the living room. "You kids are lucky I don't scare easy."

"Um—" Taehyung was about to speak. That's when Yoongi was suddenly grabbed by Seokjin. The slender male screamed to be released instantly. Seokjin was holding Yoongi by his arms and that's when you saw Jungkook jumping out with a smile on his face.

"I got him! Go!" Seokjin shouted.

"LET ME GO." Yoongi wanted to fight back only to get tickled by Jungkook. Since it was the bunny tickling him, Yoongi didn't want to kick his legs to push the boy away. He would have to tolerate it until Jungkook showed him mercy. "AHAHA, STOP! F*CK."

"No swearing, Hyung-nim!" Jungkook laughed. "That's an extra minute of tickling!"

"NO."

So you have no idea why the vocals thought this was a warm welcome back to Namjoon's place. It felt like torture for the boys. Luckily, they left you untouched. After that entire fiasco, you made sure the boys got ready to practice. They went outside to stretch with Hoseok taking the lead. They warmed up their bodies as well as their voices. While they did that, you were inside getting the towels ready in a basket. Then you had a bunch of water bottles stuffed in Namjoon's fridge. Those would be cool and ready for when its break time. They usually practice for hours straight though. They had tiny bottles with them anyway for quick sips.

Sitting outside in the shade, you watched them slowly review the choreography. They had all the choreography done, but it's been a while since they've gone through it. All they've been dancing has been Boy In Luv. Now they were taking a different approach with I Need You where they all start on the ground. All of them moved slowly as Hoseok explained the moves, making sure they all remembered what he had taught them. He went through the counts and surely, it was coming back to them clearly.

It wasn't long before the boys could do the dance without Hoseok reminding them what to do. You played the music as they were able to stay on beat. They had a lot of work to do, but you knew they were willing to put in the effort. Their last performance was clean as hell. I Need You is sort of sloppy at the moment, but you knew they would be able to tighten it up soon. Sometimes a move would slip a member's mind and they would show it with a facial expression, making their mistake obvious. Other times they struggled to find center and keep their formations as they moved. For the most part, their timing was pretty good so you didn't worry about that.

While the boys looked back on their recording and checked what to clean, you went on your laptop to see if there was any news around the contest. Social media was where you were going to find most people talking about it. There were a couple groups that you noticed were the most popular. BTS being one of them. Smirking at the screen, you scrolled as you saw multiple posts asking who Seokjin was and why he wasn't an idol already with his looks. Others were truly impressed with the stage they had and commented how catchy the song was. Yes!! You were smiling nonstop at all the good comments. If there were any bad ones, you just ignored them.

Another one of the popular groups was D-Crunch. Mainly because of their technical difficulty. Lots of people were calling out that they only got sympathy votes while others were saying that they were genuinely talented. They just hope that D-Crunch unleashes their talent in the second round so that they lose the sympathy from their accident. As you continued to scroll through posts about the competition, you looked up to check on the boys. They stopped dancing and were all panting heavily. Is it break time already? Oh snap! You rushed to hand them their towels and give each of them a cold bottle of water. They thanked you, all of them sweaty and tired.

"The dance is already looking so much better, guys." You clapped your hands.

"Thanks! I'm surprised they retained so much of it." Hoseok chuckled.

"It's all muscle memory!" Jimin stated.

"How could we forget our special dance that's gonna make us win the second round?" Jungkook smirked.

"I like what this kid is saying." Yoongi patted the bunny. "I want more trophies."

"You looked ready to kiss our last one." Seokjin pointed out.

"He took it home too." Namjoon grinned.

Yoongi only rolled his eyes, ignoring their teasing words. In the beginning, Yoongi wasn't so sure about joining an idol competition. Now that trophy really had him down for the ride. Yoongi was now cutting down on his complaints about dance rehearsal. Anything to make them have the second round down in the bag. The boys all sat down to talk before you showed them your laptop. They already had a solid amount of fans from the show! You're so proud of them. The seven of them were shocked and amazed. They didn't think they would receive that many compliments. As they looked through social media, Yoongi's phone began to ring. He took out his phone to stare at the caller ID.

"Hello?" Yoongi answered, walking away from the laptop. He stood at the far side as you kept an eye on him. His face contorted into a confused and frustrated one. "What? I'm kind of...now? I just...well, can you at least tell me what's so important?" Yoongi sighed heavily in annoyance. It must have been either Mr. Yoo or his mom. "Fine, I'm going. Bye." He hung up to look at you and the rest of the members.

"Is everything okay?" You asked. Yoongi shoved his phone in his back pocket, clearly upset. He wanted to stay here but he couldn't really fight back his mom or Mr. Yoo. He didn't want to risk getting grounded anymore. Right when you asked Yoongi the question, the others stopped staring at your laptop. They pulled their attention away from it to stare at Yoongi in confusion.

"Sorry guys, I have to go home. It's apparently important." Yoongi frowned.

"Oh that sucks, but you gotta do what you gotta do." Hoseok shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Did they sound angry?" You bit your lip.

"Sort of. I don't know what's going on, but I'll let you all know." Yoongi took a step back, waving at you guys as he packed up his things.

"Bye, Yoongi. Practice is over then for today, but we'll all put in our hours during the week." Namjoon reminded everyone. No one protested against him and only waved goodbye to Yoongi. The redhead left as you felt a little nervous. Hopefully it's nothing too bad.

(Left to Right: Sangchan [O.V.] & Minhyuk)


	50. Judging Peers

Ch.50

Yoongi's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This better be important. I already don't like getting calls from Myunghan to begin with. He called me in the middle of dance rehearsal, demanding that I come home right away. I'm still pissed off at the fact that I had to leave. We need to work hard on our performance if we want to pass the second round. One thing I know about our group is that our songs are amazing thanks to yours truly and that our performance is unlike any other. Hoseok makes sure we're clean and it's sometimes hard to believe that I'm in a group that's capable of doing what we do. How are we not an actual group at this point? Seriously, we're good for a reason and that's because of how many hours of work we put in.

Now I was being called away to deal with something he refused to explain. All Myunghan told me was to get home already. Mom and him needed to talk to me about something. It almost made me nervous since I've been good so far. I don't really remember doing anything wrong. When I tried asking for some kind of answers, Mom took the phone from Myunghan. She told me right away to save my questions and to get home. I'm not one to fight with Mom so I said goodbye to the group unfortunately. I really wanted to stay with them. They feel more like home than my current one. It's not like Mom or Myunghan are awful though. After the conversation I had with Myunghan, he understands where he stands with me. Mom doesn't push it anymore, but I can tell she's disappointed that she couldn't give me something she would beat herself up over all that time. And that was a father.

It's okay. I don't need one, but I feel bad. I don't like making Mom sad and that's why I'm riding my bike as quick as I can back home. Mom didn't really like me driving the bike. It was my ride and she understood that. Though sometimes her motherly instincts came out, calling me her baby and telling me not to get hurt. I'm fine. With a heavy sigh, I slowly begin to pull on the clutch and front break as I roll into my front yard. The shack had its doors closed, but it wasn't locked. I put the bike in neutral before pushing it into the shack. There we go. That way it doesn't suffer from the weather. Kicking down the kick stand, I walked out of the shack and locked it up.

I twirled the small key around my finger. As soon as I entered through the front door, I saw them standing with a tablet in their hands. Did they seriously call me home to figure out technology? A sigh left my lips as I walked over to them. Mom and Myunghan instantly looked at me with stern eyes. They rushed over to me, showing me the screen. It was on a news site and that's when I saw it. They were showing me the clip of where you can clearly see me, Namjoon, and Hoseok. Sh*t. They noticed how I froze at the sight of it. It's not like I can dig my way out of this. It's clear that I'm the one in the five second clip with my friends. Mom and Myunghan lowered down the tablet, keeping their eyes on me.

"I was checking the news when I saw a familiar face. Care to explain?" Mom asked.

"...Eomma, what do you want to know?" I asked. Her lips became thin as she let out a sigh.

"I want the truth, Min Yoongi. What else?" She tilted her head, exasperated. "Clearly this stuff takes time. Have you truly been studying with your friends at all? Or have you been lying to me this entire time, messing around and signing up for a competition on live television behind my back!? That's so important and you don't even care to mention it to me?"

"I didn't for a reason!" I stated, knowing where this was going. Mom was hurt and fairly so, but I couldn't get grounded. Myunghan was staring at me with a frown. That easily irked me on why he was here.

"You told me that you were studying," Myunghan said. The world just loves me, doesn't it? I pushed my red bangs out of my face in an attempt to think and calm myself down. Don't lose your temper, Yoongi.

"We...were." I closed my eyes. "Namjoon was tutoring us for the longest time...but hear me out! Don't say anything! Okay? Please listen?"

"We will." Mom nodded. I hoped they would. I didn't want any interruptions with them already telling me my punishment. Even if I didn't go about this the right way, I didn't want to hear it. For once I just wanted to be heard.

I automatically made Mom and Myunghan sit down since this was going to take a while. Luckily, from the clip you can't really see Seokjin. That's one less thing I have to explain to Myunghan. The most you could see in the background was the bright colors of Taehyung and Jimin's hair. The most they needed to know was that we were doing it with other friends we knew who went to a different school. Again, I was only making more secrets and lies. It was just hard to tell them the complete truth. Mom and Myunghan listened to me intently as I explained how we found out about the competition and began to practice for it.

Ignoring the expressions they held on their face, I told them everything that happened. Tutoring lessons began to get cut down to the point where they were nonexistent. Everything was focused on the contest. Yesterday was the first round and we passed to the second one because of our talent. We were able to get enough votes from viewers to keep going forward. Just telling them that, I struggled to hide how I still wasn't over the shock. That many people thought we were worth voting for out of twenty-one groups. They saw something in our dance, rapping, and singing. Something about our overall performance caught their attention.

Mom remained quiet as I mentioned my passion again. Music. Myunghan and her weren't huge fans of the idea. They thought I was obsessed with something that wasn't stable. That it should stay a hobby, but I couldn't let it be something small in my life. It was my passion. My dream, my first love, and my safety! How am I supposed to just drop it or settle when I feel so strongly towards it? Mom didn't say anything to me. She only sighed as she stood up. For a second, I wasn't sure what she was going to do. Slap me? Yell at me? I swallowed hard until I felt her hug me tightly.

"Eomma?" I carefully hugged her back.

"Thank you for telling me the truth..." She stroked my hair.

"But?" I frowned.

"I'm going to talk to Myunghan." She pulled away, keeping her hands around my face. "Baby, I love you...but this contest—"

"I'm passing all my classes," I pointed out right away. She pursed her lips, but I needed her to understand. "I finally have friends, Eomma. I'm happy." She quietly nodded her head as she kissed my forehead.

"We'll talk later, my baby. Okay?" She smiled as she walked off. Myunghan stood up, awkwardly glancing at me. I hurt Mom a lot it seems. It felt awful that I continued to disappoint her, but the damage had been done. Myunghan opened his mouth to say something until he saw the look in my eyes. I really wasn't in the mood to hear it. His shoulders sank and he followed my Mom into another room. At least we didn't break out into loud yelling and doors slamming shut. Still, how come this felt worse?

*~*

Yoongi was pretty silent on the group chat. Though the vocals easily gave him his space and privacy, you and the other two rappers were worried. Curious too. Is he doing okay? Did he get in trouble? Anytime your phone alerted you with a notification, you rushed to it in hopes that Yoongi would say something. Anything to explain what happened or something as simple as telling you guys not to worry. If he wasn't saying anything for so long, you figured things went wrong. Namjoon and Hoseok wanted to know what was going on with their favorite delinquent but nothing.

It was the next school day. You waited near the school gates since you wanted to catch Yoongi as soon as possible. It looked like you weren't the only one with the same idea. As soon as you arrived near the gates, you saw Hoseok and Namjoon looking surprised at each other. Right away you were able to overhear their conversation. Namjoon claiming he could get the truth out of Yoongi because they're both underground rappers and bond heavily over music. Hoseok shook his head, stating how he was able to get a silly side of out Yoongi and makes him feel comfortable. These boys are literally fighting about who's closer to the delinquent.

"Step aside boys. I was the first one he befriended, I'm his fake girlfriend, and he always tells me the truth first before telling you guys," You said with a smirk. Hoseok and Namjoon turned to face you. They blinked before grumbling under their breath. "Guys! We're all Yoongi's best friends! He'll tell us all so don't worry about it."

"Won't the three of us asking him feel overwhelming?" Namjoon questioned.

"Yeah, Yoongi isn't really one to get personal with a lot of people." Hoseok rubbed his arms.

"And you think I don't know that?" You scoffed. "But we're his friends in the end. Even if Yoongi isn't one to open up easily, he'll talk about it to us. Maybe not to the kids and to Seokjin, but us."

"You think so?" Hoseok pouted. Namjoon took in what you said. Slowly he nodded his head to your words.

"(F/n)'s right. We're close enough with Yoongi now where he won't shut us out that easily." Namjoon smiled. "We basically know all his secrets."

Hoseok and you agreed. There wasn't much that Yoongi had to hide from you guys. All three of you knew about him rapping at Midnight Measure, you guys knew his relationship to the principal, his home situation, his dreams, his past. Then he knew almost everything about you guys too. The four of you have grown incredibly close as the school year went on. It's almost a bit surprising how fast all of you clicked and became comfortable with one another. After the issues and bumps in the beginning were cleared, there was no stopping the friendship between you guys. All the first impressions from the labels you guys saw on each other began to vanish. They were so much more than what people gave them credit for.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Yoongi's voice caught all your attention. The three of you turned to face him. Yoongi didn't look out of the ordinary. He was dressed in his uniform as always, a little sloppy but still put together. Hoseok, Namjoon, and you all looked at each other. In an instant, the four of you ran over to him. Yoongi's eyes widened as he was suddenly crowded. He didn't think you guys would come stampeding towards him. He almost looked ready to run in the opposite direction. "What are you all doing!?"

"You never texted us back!" Hoseok frowned. "Did you get grounded again?"

"Oh..." Yoongi stopped being tense. He relaxed as he scratched behind his ear in thought. "Not exactly."

"What does that mean?" Namjoon took a step closer. "You're still able to do practice and the contest with us, right?"

"Hell yeah! It'll just...involve a lot more sneaking out," Yoongi began to mumble towards the end. He looked to the side as he wiped his nose. Three sets of eyes narrowed down on the male who wasn't being completely truthful. A sigh left Namjoon to know that getting Yoongi at rehearsal was going to be a problem. Right away, Yoongi looked at you guys with a tiniest bit of panic. He waved his hands in front of you guys to assure all of you that there was nothing to worry about. He had everything taken care of. "Look! It's not like they can lock me in my door and not let me out!"

"I think they can." You crossed your arms.

"No way. Eomma knows that I'll be able to unlock it in three seconds." Yoongi shook his head. "I'll escape easily and I'll sneak out of the house like I've done a ton of times."

"So you're basically in trouble?" Hoseok tapped his foot impatiently. Yoongi continued to speak vaguely, refusing to state the exact problem. None of you were really pushing it since he didn't look emotionally distressed. Not to mention he kept promising that what happened wouldn't affect his appearances at practice. You sure liked to hope so. If there was something wrong, you wished to know so all of you could help him.

"Guys, I promise I'm fine. We got nothing to worry about." Yoongi grinned.

"I swear, if this is just you unable to get personal and vulnerable with us—" Namjoon was close to grabbing Yoongi by his collar to threaten him.

"We'll trust you!" You shouted, purposely cutting off the president. Namjoon huffed and figured things were better left unsaid. Yoongi was smirking though, interested to see if the strict class president wanted to fight. "For now though."

"I'll take it. I'm not too picky." Yoongi patted Namjoon. It's almost like he wanted to be annoying to the taller male. Yoongi walked past you guys, heading towards the entrance. All of you watched him go past the gates as if everything was fine. Is there really nothing to worry about? You exchanged unsure looks with the two boys at your side before staring at Yoongi again. The redhead looked over his shoulder with a smirk on his face. "Are you guys coming to class or what!"

The three of you weren't able to shake it off. It still felt like something was wrong and Yoongi wasn't telling you guys the whole truth. Hoseok was asking what happened to him telling you guys the truth. Weren't you guys supposed to be his best friends? You three certainly are, but patience is needed when it comes to Yoongi. Though he wouldn't be revealing anything this second, you knew the truth would come out soon. It was bound to come out today no matter what. After all, Yoongi's relationship with the principal made the chances of the truth slipping out higher.

Though the four of you were acting natural in Mr. Kim's class, there was something in the air. Yoongi was almost paranoid any time there was a noise outside of the classroom. He looked uneasy and super tense in his seat. He couldn't even kick his feet up on the desk to nap. When Namjoon was announcing the information relating to the scores of the standardized tests, his eyes remained on Yoongi the entire time. Why did he have to be so secretive? Finally after thirty minutes in the class, he raised his hand. Mr. Kim walked over with his brows furrowed. Hoseok turned in his chair, doing his best to overhear from all the way in the front. Mr. Kim wondered if it was about the worksheet Namjoon had passed out earlier.

"Are you confused by the work?" Mr. Kim asked in a low whisper.

"I want to use the bathroom," Yoongi said. While you were writing your name, you looked over at the boy. The bathroom? You highly doubt he's going in there to take care of business. He only wants to waste time since he feels like a sitting duck in this classroom. It's obvious with the way he's acting. "May I go?"

"_May_? Holy sh*t, are you sure you're Min Yoongi?" Seokjin slipped out. He leaned close to the student who let out a tiny huff. Seokjin chuckled and nodded his head. "Yes, you _may_. Just give me your phone and go."

"You're so annoying." Yoongi took out his phone from his pocket. Handing the teacher his phone, Yoongi stood up and left the classroom. Seokjin continued smiling, knowing that Yoongi was only acting cold for show. While Seokjin cooed over his favorite student, you let out a heavy sigh. You wanted to figure out what was going on with Yoongi so badly. Seokjin noticed and looked down at you with raised brows.

"Is everything alright, Cha (F/n)?" Seokjin asked.

"Aren't you suspicious about the call yesterday?" You whispered. Seokjin remained quiet, pursing his lips as he thought.

"I am curious." Seokjin nodded, wanting to word things carefully. "If I get the chance to figure out what then I guess I'll take it."

Seokjin smiled at you as an office assistant opened the door. They poked their head in, holding up a blue paper. Seokjin left you to go get the little slip. As soon as he got it, he sighed gently with a nod. He muttered that the student was at the bathroom. He'll send Yoongi as soon as he can. Yoongi was getting requested by the office? No doubt by the principal. The office assistant left and Seokjin automatically looked over at you. It's going down. A few more minutes passed before Yoongi returned. He was in the bathroom for ten minutes at most. As soon as he entered the room, Seokjin walked over to him with the slip in his hands. Yoongi exhaled, immediately rolling his eyes as if he knew this would happen.

"I'm coming with you." Seokjin smiled as he put it on the desk.

"You're what?" Yoongi furrowed his brows.

"I'll go with you during passing period." Seokjin nodded his head.

"Me too!" You joined in.

"I'm coming too!" Hoseok appeared next to Seokjin. When did he show up? Seokjin frowned, looking at the boy from head to toe.

"When did you get there? Go back to your seat," Seokjin said.

"You don't mean that." Hoseok shook his head, adamantly ignoring his teacher. You then noticed Namjoon making his way over. He saw the four of you huddled near Yoongi and knew he had to be a part of it. He didn't want to be left out of whatever was going on. Right when he showed up, Yoongi groaned and sunk in his chair.

"Get out of here. All of you get lost." Yoongi scowled.

"What's going on?" Namjoon asked.

"The principal wants to see Yoongi as soon as possible," Seokjin stated.

"I'm not going." Yoongi shook his head. All of you sighed heavily to hear that. If he was going to skip it then he would only be making things worse. The last thing you want to hear are the school's speakers saying Yoongi's full name. The class was already making their own assumptions on why Yoongi wanted to be seen by the principal. A lot of them were wondering if he was finally going to be expelled which they thought last time. So many of them considered him trouble, but you were so baffled by that. Aside from the rumors and his blunt attitude, when did he ever cause trouble? He's never physically fought any of the students here. The time he twisted Hoseok's arm was barely anything. He yelled at Namjoon once in front of the school, but nothing came out of it. Yoongi has practically done nothing to anyone at this school. You never knew why they were so against him.

"We're going with him during passing period." Hoseok smiled.

"The hell you guys are!" Yoongi growled.

"We have your back, Yoongi!" You cheered. He wanted to whine at this point. None of you were going to back down. Yoongi was in disbelief with how stubborn all of you were. Namjoon decided he would come along as well. It sounded like a good plan. Yoongi only banged his head on the desk, annoyed with all of you. You bet he was annoyed with you guys a bit, but you could see it in his eyes. He was grateful that all of you were stubborn. He looked almost afraid when Seokjin first showed him the blue slip.

Yoongi stayed quiet during the rest of class. He didn't say anything and focused on his work. While he did that, Hoseok and Namjoon returned to their desks. Class was resuming as normal until Seokjin was asked a favor by a pregnant teacher. She badly needed to use the bathroom but needed someone to watch her class. Seokjin happily told her that he would take care of that. He turned to Namjoon and told him to make sure the class stayed on task. The class president nodded instantly at the request. Turning over your paper to do the backside, you could hear other students scoffing. Namjoon was now in charge and they hated that.

Namjoon had finished his work already. That was to be expected of him. He usually finished things first as if it was a walk in the park. He looked over his classmates, making sure they focused on their work. One thing Namjoon did that really irked his classmates was how seriously he took the job as class president. The second smartest boy in class muttered 'oh come on' once Namjoon started walking around the class like a teacher. They found him ridiculous while you thought they were mean to him for no reason. The boy was named Kijung. He gave Namjoon the most crap just because he wasn't smart enough to beat him.

"Sit your @ss down. Do you believe you're suddenly the teacher?" Kijung glared at Namjoon. The president froze, keeping a stoic expression as he looked at his classmate. Other students in the class were snickering or holding back laughs. They were happy Namjoon was getting talked to like this. Your heart was burning at the way they all looked at him. How dare they? You glanced at Yoongi, but he was too absorbed in his music and working on the worksheet. Hoseok on the other hand was watching this all go down, unsure on how to calm things down.

"I'm class president meaning that I'm second in charge when he's not around. As you heard, Mr. Kim—" Namjoon explained.

"F*ck off already. It's like you stuck a dictionary up your @ss." Kijung scoffed.

"And an encyclopedia!" Another shouted.

"Then a thesaurus for good measure!" The class was laughing. Namjoon only stared at them with his lips tightly pressed against each other.

"Just sit down and stop being so arrogant for once." Kijung pointed Namjoon to his seat. Namjoon was doing his best not to show any signs of weakness. He only looked at his seat, staying quiet as you were losing your temper.

"When has he ever been arrogant though?" Hoseok chuckled. "Come on, Kijung. No need to be so rude. Let's just all calm down."

"Look Hoseok, shut up. I get you're all likeable and stuff, but you don't get it. You're too laid back and don't get the importance of grades since you're from a public school." Kijung sighed, talking down to Hoseok. "It's hard for the rest of us who work so hard to please our parents. Then there's this guy who barely tries and constantly rubs it in our faces. You wouldn't understand since we've been dealing with this since middle school."

"Then study harder and shut up!" You yelled. God d*mn it. You found yourself speaking without thinking. Inside you winced while you kept a tough expression. Namjoon was staring at you and Hoseok with a grateful smile. Others in the classroom turned to you, ready to rip you to shreds. Since they all turned to face you, Yoongi finally noticed. He took out his ears buds and his eyes widened once he heard a girl speak bitterly to you.

"You're one to f*cking talk. Your grades are probably the worst here. I'm surprised you haven't failed already." She laughed. "It's not like public school is that good."

"...I studied hard—" You began.

"But it won't be enough sooner or later," She replied back. "How do I make this clear to you? Public school, stupid. You, the same. Sehwang, the best. The smartest. You won't last."

"Someone should wire your jaw shut or cut your tongue out." Yoongi hissed. The girl turned pale instantly at the threat. This wasn't looking good to anyone. You scrunched your face as the class slowly became chaos. Many people were telling Yoongi to just disappear and for you to go away. Some were telling Namjoon to just sit down and people were ignoring Hoseok's attempts to calm the situation down. They talked to him as if he was a dumb child, but at least the dumb kid was nice.

"Everyone, be quiet!!" Namjoon raised his voice. He crossed his arms as all his classmates turned to face him. They continued to glare at him, but he didn't care. It was so disappointing to see how once a teacher leaves, they all turn nasty and toxic. Sure, there were some who minded their own business but there was more against you guys than you would like. And this was just one class. "I suggest focusing on your work. If you dream to reach higher scores than mine then quit whining. Work for it. It's not that hard seeing as you guys are just as intelligent as I am. How ignorant of all of you to believe I didn't work hard to achieve my grades."

The class was silent. Namjoon slowly smirked to himself, proud that he was able to make the class shut up. He hoped that he had motivated them to finally work harder. He was getting tired of their constant hate that was unwarranted. Unfortunately, Namjoon's speech wasn't what got the class to become quiet. It appears someone had been listening in the entire time. They slowly stepped into the classroom, judging the students who were now shoving their noses in their work. Namjoon furrowed his brows in confusion. Yoongi looked sick and you let your head fall into your hands. Hoseok was mouthing not so secretly to Namjoon for him to turn around. Namjoon did as he was told, his eyes widening once he saw Principal Yoo staring at him.

Behind Principal Yoo was Seokjin. The other teacher must have returned to her classroom. Did they both hear what was said? Your stomach twisted into tight knots. Yoongi said some things he probably shouldn't have. Even if he was trying to stand up for you. Seokjin looked so disappointed in his students, wanting to believe that they were all good. Sadly as the year went on, Seokjin was noticing how a lot of them were spoiled and classists. A lot of them showed no kindness if you didn't grow up exactly the same way they did. If you weren't likeable like Hoseok then you wouldn't be able to avoid their rude comments.

Principal Yoo sighed as he named all four of you to come with him. Min Yoongi, Cha (F/n), Kim Namjoon, and Jung Hoseok. You weren't able to tell if this was a bad thing or a good thing. Were you guys in trouble or was he upset with the way the class treated you guys? It wasn't anything new though. It usually just isn't in this large of a scale. The four of you stood up, walking out of the classroom to follow Principal Yoo out into the hallway. As you guys left the classroom, Seokjin whispered that he would come as soon as he can. He wasn't going to let you guys be alone. That left the four of you with comfort as you all went to the principal's office. The entire walk there was silent and now awkward as you all stood in his little grey office.

"Does that happen often?" Principal Yoo asked softly, taking a seat in his chair. He kept his eyes on his large oak desk.

"Not to that scale..." Namjoon was the only one to answer. "We usually get ignored. Maybe one or two people say something a week, but that's about it."

"Yeah, they normally don't all do that." Hoseok rubbed his neck. "Maybe because of the testing and with finals next month, they're getting stressed—"

"Don't justify their bullsh*t." Yoongi chided.

"Yoongi, what you said was too far." Principal Yoo finally looked up. He stared the delinquent in the eyes, a heavy frown on his face. "You can get in a lot of trouble for saying those things. The girl can bring it up to the superintended if she truly felt in danger—"

"Then she should learn stay in her place." Yoongi fumed. "I'm not going to apologize to someone who showed no respect for my friend. All of them are such @ssholes to us for no reason! Can't you do something about this!?"

"...I'll do my best." Principal Yoo sighed. "But you do know that I can only reprimand them. Their own personal thoughts can't be changed."

"F*cking perfect." Yoongi groaned. "I mean, what did I expect?"

"Yoongi, please calm down," You whispered.

"Yoongi, keep your swearing to a minimum in here." Principal Yoo didn't want to fight with the boy. He looked exhausted already. His posture also let you know that he was just as disappointed as Seokjin. He saw the way students acted with nasty attitudes towards you guys. It must upset him that he can't do much to protect his wife's son. The school can only get involved so much when it comes to bullying. That's the part that always sucked. Yoongi took a seat, rubbing his face with his hands. "I actually didn't call you all in here for what happened..."

"You didn't?" Hoseok gulped.

"No. I wanted to speak to Yoongi, but he wasn't showing up. I figured I should just appear and pull him out of class. Then I remembered that you all shared math class together," Principal Yoo stated. "I figured I could kill two birds with one stone when I overheard all that..."

"Two birds?" Namjoon questioned. Principal Yoo nodded as he turned his computer screen over. The four of you looked at it and recognized the image immediately. It was the clear five second video of the rappers on stage. While three of you paled in fear, Yoongi didn't look shocked. He must have known already. Principal Yoo couldn't stop sighing every time he looked at the photo. Almost as if he wished it wasn't real and that it was all just photoshop. It made you worry if he knew that Seokjin was in the idol contest with you guys too. Hopefully not or else that might cause some serious issues. "Oh...you saw that..."

"I figured it was best to have a meeting about this with all of you here. I'm also assuming that (F/n) is also involved in this idol competition." The principal's eyes shifted over to you. Biting your lip, you nodded your head. "Well then, I'll just be blunt with what I wanted to say. I don't want Yoongi participating in this contest anymore. I'm pulling him out of it."

"What? Excuse me?" Your words slipped out. Luckily, you weren't the only one who was as shocked.

"Sir, you can't do that!" Namjoon shook his head.

"I'm staying in the contest, Myunghan. You can't take me out," Yoongi spoke lowly.

"It's distracting you from your studies and—" The principal was cut off.

"We signed a contract though. Yoongi literally can't pull out unless he physically can't." Hoseok shrugged. That or unless Yoongi has an amazing lawyer. You doubt Principal Yoo wants to go that far to take Yoongi out of this.

The older man groaned as he leaned back in his seat. Contracts were signed confirming that all their work would be original, that they wouldn't sue the company for any reason, and to stay in the contest until they lost or won. There was more to it, but those were the ones you could list off the top of your head. Another heavy sigh left the principal, knowing that he couldn't win this. He looked at Yoongi, ready to say something until the door was suddenly opened. Heads turned to see Seokjin panting with a terrified expression. Yoongi stood up right, alarmed with the way Seokjin looked. The rest of you stepped closer to him in worry. What was going on? Why did he look so scared? Principal Yoo's brows curled in together as he stared at the teacher. Seokjin didn't close the door as he pointed outside.

"I-I don't know who did it! But someone p-posted pictures of you guys at the contest all over the halls!" Seokjin swallowed hard. At that point, the rappers were done with how crappy things were getting. The school usually ignored you guys. How come they were doing this now?

"Is it the picture of the rappers?" You asked and Seokjin nodded.

"I have to see this." Hoseok frowned.

"Mr. Kim knows you guys are involved in the idol contest?" Principal Yoo held up a finger in shock. The rest of you looked over at him, feeling a little bit awkward. With one nod for confirmation, he looked embarrassed and ashamed. Yoongi trusted a teacher more than him or his own mom. Someone the principal would consider a stranger to Yoongi. Seokjin was anything, but.

"Sorry, we have to go. Come on guys." Namjoon walked out the door. All of you ran behind him, leaving Principal Yoo alone in his office.

As soon as you guys started walking through the main halls, that's when you saw it all. Flash card sized photos of the boys on stage. Students were staring at the photos in confusion. Who would bother putting these up? That's when Hoseok pointed out that a lot of people were stuffing themselves into the cafeteria. Yoongi knew it couldn't be good. Seokjin hated this, frightened that his career was at risk. You wanted him to remain calm since so far only the rappers have been caught. The five of you shoved your way into the cafeteria. Hoseok swore under his breath right away to see his old fake friends. They were standing on a table, showing the crowd the five second clip of the boys rapping and performing.

"Oh hey! There they are!" One of them pointed you guys out in the crowd. The three rappers became stiff as everyone turned to face them. People were shocked and surprised. You could already hear their whispers about how strange it was for the top student to be participating in something like that. Namjoon should be more focused on school. People questioned if this was what Yoongi did with his spare time as if they expected him to be beating up random strangers. "Hoseok, why don't you get up here?"

"Uh..." Hoseok nervously fidgeted.

"Come rap for us, Class President! Show everyone in the cafeteria what you got!" They laughed.

"Yoongi! Get up here too!" They hollered. That's when students in the crowd tugged at the three boys. They pulled them along, shoving them up the table. Seokjin stayed close to you, shocked at the way so many students were acting.

"Hey! Get off those tables! Everyone clear out already!" Seokjin yelled at them. A couple students flinched, running away at the sight of a teacher. Many of them stayed though, chanting that they wanted a show. They weren't going to leave until they got one. "From the security cameras, we will put this all on your records! Don't think you can do this without getting in trouble!"

"Loosen up, Mr. Kim!" The fake boy laughed. Soon the pressure continued to grow as the three rappers stood on the table. All of them swallowed hard at the situation. It wasn't until one of them finally complied that people became silent. Hoseok started dancing freestyle, leaving the people in the cafeteria stunned. Namjoon and Yoongi climbed down from the tables, not wanting the attention. Hoseok quickly finished, not too bothered by the eyes on him. You were surprised he wasn't annoyed at everyone. Instead the boy took this in a positive way.

"Be sure to watch the competition on Saturday and vote for BTS!!" Hoseok cheered. He grinned as students started to walk away. He took the power in the situation back, refusing to let people make fun of him. His fake friends were soon grabbed by Principal Yoo who was beyond pissed off. This is what was going on? Seokjin and you rushed over to the table as Hoseok came down, letting out a shaky breath.

"I can't believe you just did that," You said.

"Promoting us? Really?" Seokjin laughed.

"I had to! I'm not gonna let them treat us like that!" Hoseok sighed.

"Yeah, nice thinking." Yoongi smirked. "That taught those @ssholes."

"Hopefully they'll leave us alone." Namjoon crossed his arms. The rest of you nodded, worried with how life at school was going to be now that the four of them were going to be on television for the next three Saturdays.


	51. Honesty & Violent Bonding

Ch.51

Things were falling apart, but also managing to stick together. Aside from the boys dealing with extra teasing for wanting to become idols, life was alright. Yoongi was able to keep his promise about coming to practice without problems. He showed up early to school to find you guys and then stayed late as possible at rehearsals to make sure the choreography was perfect. It was in their muscle memory. Sometimes during lunch, you would see the boys doing little movements of the dance. Mainly the part where they have their hand on their neck and do body rolls. That seemed to be the part all the boys exaggerated and made fun of sometimes.

Either way, they were perfecting the dance like it was no problem. The only thing that some of the boys weren't looking forward to was perfecting the song they created for the third round. It was a really hard dance that was fast and sharp. It did have soft movements though, but it was complex. It was the same choreography that caused Hoseok to sprain his ankle after all. You made sure the boys knew that they could handle the choreography. Besides, that's in the future and they should really keep their mind on I Need You since you feel this song will really boost their popularity in the contest. It's incredibly catchy and the choreography can sort of be followed if people really liked it.

It was Thursday and you guys have survived more than half way of the week. Just a couple more hours before tech and the second round. You were hoping so hard that BTS passes through the second round. Maybe that'll finally get people to leave your rappers alone. The main boy that got a lot of crap was Namjoon. Students were just too shocked that the class president and top student at Sehwang was doing that in his free time. All of a sudden people were questioning if people should look up to him at all for throwing his studies away. What was their problem? Then Kijung found it hilarious how the guy with 'thousands of sticks up his @ss' is trying to become an idol rapper. It made them believe that Namjoon lost a couple brain cells. Do they even know the amount of hard work Namjoon does for the contest?

Somehow the boys were digesting this a lot better than you. The three of them remained calm despite the light teasing that occurred nonstop. It seemed like they all had a conversation about it without you. They all knew that putting themselves on television would open them up to this type of behavior. The internet where people could leave hate comments and now here at school. It's not like your boys were famous so students had no problem poking fun at your rappers. You're just glad that the middle schoolers are doing fine. Taehyung said that not many of their classmates watched it. Some of them knew but thought it was cool. Other than that, Namjoon advised them not to go rubbing it in others faces. It's a good thing that Taehyung is popular and so is Jimin. They're safe that way and Jungkook too since he's under their wings.

The hate was just something you unfortunately had to get used to. Though most of the hate surrounding the competition was mainly towards the boys only. Students never sent those comments to you. It still annoyed you any time you heard someone poorly rapping Namjoon's part in Boy In Luv just to make fun of him. Namjoon didn't care though and thanked them for spending time to learn his lyrics. It was at that point that you learned something from him. Ignoring hate or fighting back defensively didn't always need to happen. Sometimes you just needed to handle it with class. That's how you slowly got over it.

"Less people mocked us today. That's pretty good," Yoongi said as you guys walked out the school gates.

"I keep trying to promote us by dancing, but I don't know if that's working." Hoseok pursed his lips.

"All I know is that I don't look forward to coming to school as much anymore." Namjoon crossed his arms behind his head.

"Gross. You liked coming to school?" Yoongi wanted to vomit.

"It wasn't awful." Namjoon shrugged.

"You're something else, Namjoon." You giggled. Namjoon shook his head with a light blush across his cheeks. He didn't get why Yoongi was so shocked. He liked to learn and it was pretty obvious.

Hoseok only gave Namjoon a back hug, saying that 'Joonie, is my favorite nerd' which almost got him kicked where the sun doesn't shine. Yoongi was repeatedly shouting 'fight' as Namjoon tried to fight the golden boy. Luckily, Hoseok was winning by keeping Namjoon in a tight back hug. You silently judged the scene in front of you. You're just glad that the school is half empty. As Yoongi continued to encourage violence, you noticed someone watching you guys. She was staring at Yoongi as if she wasn't surprised with his behavior and you had to giggle.

"Baby, what are you doing?" She folded her arms over her chest. Yoongi stopped chanting at the familiar voice. Right away, Namjoon and Hoseok stopped fighting at the sign of an adult. They turned their heads to finally meet Yoongi's mom for the first time.

"Eomma, what are you doing here?" Yoongi coughed, his blush painfully obvious on his pale skin. The second he called her mom, Namjoon and Hoseok straightened their posture in a way you've never seen them do before. Were they suddenly in the military? Yoongi slowly walked over to his mother in embarrassment. Namjoon swallowed hard while Hoseok was dusting off his uniform. Namjoon saw that, quickly asking Hoseok if his uniform was good. They checked each other out and made sure they looked like good influences for Yoongi. These boys.

"You've been avoiding me for the last couple days, Yoongi." Ms. Min frowned. "I thought picking you up from school would finally give us time to talk."

"P-Picking me up?" Yoongi stuttered. "Eomma, I can't go home right now. I need to go with them to Namjoon's house."

"Well, you're not going until you properly explain everything to me." Ms. Min put her foot down. Yoongi groaned, running a hand through his hair. He looked over his shoulder to stare at you guys. This was going to take a while. Namjoon motioned for Yoongi to just talk to his mom already. Hoseok gave him a thumbs up and a sigh left Yoongi. "I'm not just upset at the fact that you signed a contract without telling me and are putting your studies aside for this contest. I'm frustrated by—why didn't...Myunghan told me that you're having a tough time here..."

"Tough time?" Yoongi tilted his head. It clicked in his mind on what she was talking about. Mr. Yoo must have told her about the photos that had spread through the school and the teasing. "Eomma, I told you. I'm finally happy with my friends and with what I'm doing in life. I'm not having a hard time at all so don't worry."

"Min Yoongi." His mom stayed stubborn. Finally, her angry exterior was beginning to crack. Yoongi froze to see his mom growing teary eyed. She continued to keep a glare on her son, but it was growing weak. Especially with her shaky breaths and quivering bottom lip. "A-Are they bullying you again?"

Yoongi instantly pulled his mom into a tight hug. Namjoon grabbed Hoseok and you, pulling the both of you further to the side in hopes of giving them privacy. Yoongi didn't move away from his mom, but he watched you guys move away. Quietly, he motioned for you guys to sit down and stay. He needed you guys here to explain why his mom no longer needed to worry. To explain why this competition meant so much to him. Little by little, Yoongi pulled away from his mom once she had calmed down her emotions. She wasn't trembling anymore, but she still looked sad when she stared at her son.

"What do they say about you?" Ms. Min demanded weakly. Yoongi avoided her gaze, not wanting to repeat what his classmates have said about him to her face. He could easily shrug those things off. He was used to it. Yoongi let them spread rumors without a care. His mom on the other hand, it would break her heart to hear the crap some kids had to say. "Tell me."

"Eomma." Yoongi shook his head.

"Tell me." She persisted and Yoongi eventually gave up. She wasn't leaving until she finally knew everything. No more secrets.

"...that I'm a delinquent. That I'm a good for nothing," Yoongi quietly said. "That I'll become a drop out. I'll turn into a gas station attendant. I'll end up in prison. That's on the nice side though..."

"You're not any of that." Ms. Min shook her head. "You sometimes cause trouble and it annoys me, but..."

"But?" Yoongi smiled. "Eomma, I know I won't become any of those things. Not with the dream I have. The same dream I'm chasing after with my friends and guess what? We're doing good. We just need to keep practicing our song for the second round so please stop crying."

"What if you don't pass the second round?"

"You gotta have faith in me, Eomma. In us." Yoongi nudged his head towards you guys. Ms. Min turned her head to stare at her son's friends. You waved while Namjoon and Hoseok gave her big smiles. Both equally charming and able to make her smile in return. She faced her son again, squeezing his hands in hers. "We're not going down easy. Watch our second performance on television. I can set it up for you before we leave."

"...you don't see yourself doing anything else, Baby?" Ms. Min took in a deep breath. Yoongi went into thought about what he wanted in life. Everything in his mind kept leading back to music. This was a steppingstone into getting what he wanted. He needed to take this chance since how many chances will he get in life? If he could satisfy his mom and get a stable office job, he would. But he just couldn't. Music spoke to him in a way that if he didn't follow its call, he would feel like he was betraying music and himself. Yoongi shook his head at his mom silently. She pursed her lips as she pulled him back into a tight hug.

Namjoon was texting Taehyung a message on how you guys might not be home yet when they arrive. Something was currently going on that they needed to handle. Hoseok was looking away from the mother and son moment. He was staring at the roof of the school, watching a little bird hesitating to fly off. It kept bouncing back and forth, tilting its head and such. The little bird was a couple feet away from its nest with no mother by its side. Biting your lip, you looked back at Yoongi who was holding his mom tightly. You never thought you would see him like this. You could tell she cared about him, but they struggled to communicate. Hopefully this makes amends and they can learn to talk to each other again.

"Work hard at the contest then." Ms. Min squished his cheeks in her hands.

"So you're cool with me being in the contest?" Yoongi asked. Once she nodded, he began to smile. "I have a favor to ask you, Eomma."

"What is it, Baby?" Ms. Min kissed his forehead. Yoongi was beginning to squirm, repetitively glancing at his male friends. You thought it was cute while Namjoon and Hoseok were poorly holding in chuckles. What jerks! It's a sweet moment between a mother and her son!

"I have to miss school this Friday for tech rehearsal. I was hoping you could call in sick for me or something." Yoongi grinned. He was trying to use his charms, but Ms. Min began to pinch his cheeks instead of gently squishing his face. The boy whined, telling her to stop.

"I know you're a teenager, but you're still my baby." She sighed. "Are you too old to get spanked?"

"Eomma! Not in front of my friends!" Yoongi groaned, stomping his feet.

"Oooh, Yoongi's in trouble!" Hoseok snickered.

"Wittle Yoongi~!" Namjoon teased. Yoongi instantly gave them the birdie, forgetting his mom was left than a feet away from him. You coughed, trying to alert him of his mom's displeasure. Yoongi slowly faced his mom and awkwardly laughed.

"You gotta admit they deserved it." Yoongi gave her his gummy smile.

Jungkook's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taehyung was basically throwing a tantrum. He's thirteen years old and he's still doing that? Jimin was trying to calm him down, but I was too tired to deal with him. I'm more mature than the both of them! And I'm the youngest of the three! Not to brag or anything. But to definitely brag. Letting out a sigh, I turn around to check if there's been any progress. Has he calmed down at all yet? We're supposed to walk over to Taehyung's house, but he's throwing a fit. All because Namjoon said that he's going to be a little late and won't reveal why. It's making Taehyung worried that something's wrong, but Namjoon is clearly fine. He has nothing to worry about.

Jimin pushed me away from Taehyung since I wasn't making things better. I just didn't understand why Taehyung was so scared to be alone. I'm used to being alone. When my Mom worked late into the night and my uncle was busy trying to become a teacher, I had to play by myself. Just me and my imagination. I'm used to it, but Taehyung looks terrified. Even when I say I'm going to the bathroom and Jimin wants to go too, it makes Taehyung panic. Taehyung might not need to go at all but follows us anyway. It was fine until it became a bit much. He can stand to be alone for five minutes, right? Apparently not.

"I'm gonna call him." Taehyung had him on speed dial. He was sitting down while Jimin stood in front of him. I watched a couple feet away, frustrated with our slow pace.

"No, Tae! Let's just go home!" Jimin took his phone.

"I-I'm worried!" Taehyung stood up. He tried taking the phone back from Jimin, but Jimin was too quick. "Hyung tells me everything!"

"You're overreacting, Taehyung. Namjoon hyung is fine so stop acting like this." I huffed. Taehyung froze, staring at me with sad eyes.

"You don't get it...Hyung and I are really close. He always tells me that we only have each other." Taehyung frowned.

"But I'm sure you're used to being alone. Your parents are literally never around—" I stated, unable to see how stiff Taehyung became.

"Jungkook, shut up!" Jimin glared at me. Was talking about his parents off limits or something? I didn't get it. My life story was out there in the open. They knew my father wasn't in the picture, they knew my Mom was always working hard for me, and that Seokjin hyung is actually my uncle. They used to see me get beaten up every day! Is it really so bad to mention Taehyung's parents or lack of them? It's not my fault Taehyung is a baby who needs constant attention!

"I'm going to Taehyung's house already then. I don't have time for this," I grumbled, turning around. "I'm taking the competition seriously unlike some people..."

Jimin and Taehyung called after me. I couldn't turn around to talk to them. At the moment, I was too annoyed. I knew that if I stopped that I would only make things worse. My annoyance would easily turn into anger and make things worse. It's best for me to cool off. It's not like I hate Jimin or Taehyung. The only thing that bothers me is our little differences. There was a lot of things that I had to get used to when it came to being friends with them. They're a lot more popular and social than I originally would have liked. They always have so many people around them. I'm not used to that and prefer less people.

Still, in a way I'm grateful that they're such social butterflies. It helps me talk to strangers and it gets me comfortable with performing to a whole crowd. That's something that me from a year ago would never be able to do. I would have turned sick at the thought. I used to be such an extreme introvert and usually people ignored me. It wasn't until I was transferred into Sehyun Academy that I got noticed. It was different from the middle school I was originally going to. It felt so weird since I knew Mom could never afford for me to go here with her three jobs. It was my uncle who mentioned the option to transfer to my Mom. Since he got a job at Sehwang and was friends with the principal, he knew he could make it possible. Sehyun Academy and Sehwang Academy are like sister schools. Everyone who goes to this middle school goes to Sehwang for high school.

The only thing with me though is that I didn't know any of the kids. I used to go to public school. Many of my classmates left me alone except for a group of ninth graders. They tend to bully whoever they want. One day they picked on me for fun. The next day, they saw my uniform hadn't been replaced. They quickly found out I was different. I wasn't rich and I didn't come from a big name family. I became their target until...a sigh left my lips. I shouldn't have talked to Taehyung and Jimin like that. They helped me and I should be patient with them. I turned around, expecting to see them until I realized I wasn't anywhere I recognized too well.

"Oh no...I was walking without thinking!" I was easily beginning to panic. Now I was really wishing that Jimin and Taehyung could find me. Pulling off my backpack, I wished that they weren't too mad at me. I took out my phone to try and find our group chat. Or is it better to call them? As I tapped at my phone, I heard a familiar voice.

"What are you? F*cking five?" They laughed. My blood turned cold at the voice of my one of my past bullies. He's here.

"I'm thirteen!" Another voice replied. My fear turned into confusion at the other familiar voice. Though I didn't want to get hurt again, I had to take a look. Swallowing down all my nerves, I inched closer to the source of the voices. I peeked to see my old bullies holding a backpack high in the air. The person they stole it from was...Dylan.

Dylan was jumping in the air and trying to get his bag. He kicked angrily at their legs, telling them to leave him alone. Shouting how he didn't even know them. He didn't get what their problem with him was. Of course, my old bullies just thought that this was all a joke. It was fun to them to see someone looking so helpless. Dylan was really short and small. No matter how high he kept jumping, they were all taller than him. It made me wonder where his friends were. Jeongseung and Chanyoung aren't with him? That felt so strange. That's like...me without Taehyung and Jimin. Another sigh left my lips and I knew what I had to do. I couldn't just leave Dylan alone after finding him in this situation.

"Jump if you want your bag!" Piercings shoved Dylan onto the ground. He rolled on his back, shocked that they were getting physical.

"Hey now..." Dylan continued to glare at them, doing his best to stay strong.

"You're too feisty for a shrimp." Another pressed their dirty shoe against Dylan's chest. They kicked him down and I was already running. It's been a while since I've done taekwondo, but here goes nothing! Jumping high into the air, I spun and kicked my bully's head. He instantly fell onto the ground and so did I. Everyone was surprised while I had adrenaline running through my veins. I only knew taekwondo from old VHS tapes that Seokjin hyung left at Mom's house. I guess it finally came in handy today.

"W-What are you doing here?" Dylan asked.

"What does it look like?" I got up from the ground. Dylan coughed, getting onto his feet. He still needed his backpack. As soon as I turned to look at my other bullies, my face paled. I didn't really think this through, did I? Piercings got up from the ground angrily. They were all staring at me, not too happy to see me again.

"What!? You think because your hyung protected you that you're safe!?" Piercings rushed towards me, grabbing me by my collar. I stopped breathing as he shook me like I was a doll. I was terrified again, frozen in fear. Please don't hurt me. My eyes were closed tightly until he released me with a grunt. Slowly, my eyes fluttered open to see him falling down and holding his crotch. Behind him was Dylan with his knee up from the ground.

"We're getting my backpack back!" Dylan shouted, almost as if it was an order. It made me want to laugh. He was acting like he couldn't let me get hurt in order to help him. I smiled before facing my other bullies without as much fear. They marched towards us with their nostrils flaring. Before Dylan and I could even do anything, they were jumped. We stood in confusion until I saw the blue and pink hair. I gasped at the sight of my friends wrestling my bullies. They found me!

"Guys! I'm so sorry for earlier!" I shouted.

"Not right now, Kookie!" Taehyung shouted as he was thrown off.

"We forgive you! Now help us!" Jimin was thrown to the side. Dylan and I nodded as we heard distant shouting. Dylan instantly smiled to see Jeongseung and Chanyoung running over. They threw their groceries to the side, finding this fight more important than their food.

It was the best fight ever. Five seventh graders and an eighth grader piling on top of three ninth graders. They had trouble dealing with six people in total. We kicked and punched at them nonstop. Though we weren't the strongest, we were working hard on breaking them down. It was super fun to get revenge for all the crap they did to me! It was so hard to hide my bruises from my Mom and Seokjin hyung wanted to find out who was causing it. He notified the school, but nothing came of it besides scolding. That did nothing and then Yoongi hyung-nim came into the picture. Now things come full circle as I take my own turn to beat them up. Jeongseung and Jimin were holding up Piercings as I kicked him in the gut. This will give him a taste of his own medicine.

Dylan got his backpack again after Taehyung and Chanyoung handled the shorty trying to hold onto it. Even though we got the backpack to its original owner, we kept attacking the bullies for the heck of it. This time they need to learn the lesson! I can't believe they didn't learn anything after Hyung-nim handled them! As we rounded them into a circle, we caused all the damage we could. I was too invested in getting my revenge that I almost didn't hear a van beeping its horn at us. I stopped fighting to see a woman staring at us from her car. The window for the backseats rolled down and I squealed to see Hyung-nim. What's he doing here!?

"What the hell are you idiots doing!?" Yoongi shouted.

"Oh sh*t! Scram!" Jeongseung laughed, bolting in the other direction. "I had fun, but gotta go!"

"Hurry! See ya guys at the tech rehearsal!!" Chanyoung chased after his fellow member.

"Thanks!" Dylan turned around, running. "Good luck!!"

"Get in this car right now!" Hoseok poked his head out.

"On it!" Taehyung kicked one of the bullies one last time. We laughed as we heard them all groan. Rushing to the car, I saw (F/n) poke her head out of the passenger's seat. She was glaring heavily at my bullies. She must have recognized them.

"Stay away from my boys or else!!" (F/n) screamed at them. I felt touched that noona would go that far for us. Yoongi hyung-nim opened the door wide for us to quickly hop in.

"Whose car is this?" Jimin asked, casually acting like we hadn't been caught beating up a group of guys with our rivals.

"Yoongi's mom." Namjoon sighed. My eyes widened as she looked at us through the rearview mirror. I could easily see the resemblance. That was my Hyung-nim's mother? I immediately bowed at her though she sighed when she stared at us. Yoongi did the same thing, patting my head quietly. His sigh sounded like he was disappointed but the thumbs up he was secretly giving me told me a different story. I couldn't help the grin forming on my face. I did a great job at kicking @ss! Not all our hyungs were as cool as Yoongi hyung-nim. Hoseok was frowning at Jimin for his actions. Hoseok really didn't like violence. He always preferred a more peaceful approach. Then Namjoon was scolding Taehyung and sounding like a parent. While Namjoon tried to scold him, Taehyung just ignored him and sat on Namjoon's lap. "You are not three anymore! Get off! Taehyung! Tae! Tae...ugh." He gave up.

I laughed to myself before (F/n) looked at me from the passenger's seat. Just the look on her face let me know that we had to explain ourselves. They probably expected to find us at Taehyung's house stretching already. Instead, they accidentally caught us attacking a bunch of ninth graders but for good reason though! So they couldn't get too mad at us!

"Jungkook—" She started.

"It's a cute story," I started.

(Left to Right: Jeongseug, Dylan, & Chanyoung)


	52. Group Visit

Ch.52

Yesterday wasn't the best introduction of BTS to Yoongi's mom. She didn't know what to think once she saw that three of the members were still in middle school and beating up a group of boys. She didn't really say anything though. She kept a tight smile and repeated that if this was what Yoongi wanted, then she'll let it happen. It was obvious that she wasn't a huge fan of Yoongi participating but couldn't do much about it. A contract was signed and getting him to stop would only cause more problems. In her mind, everything would return back to normal at the end of the month. Just one month of this if the boys continue to pass the rounds.

That only motivated the rest of you to try harder. Something to get Ms. Min to see that this is what Yoongi is meant to do. All of you needed her to do was have faith in you guys. After she dropped you guys off at Namjoon's house, everyone began practicing like no tomorrow. The boys were dancing for hours until their bodies dropped. They pushed themselves to the limit just so their performance would be perfect for the second round. They didn't have months to practice like their first round. Each of the seven members were taking this competition seriously. By the end of the night, the boys were ready to show everyone how it's done during tech rehearsal.

Another school day had to be skipped just to show up. Mom had your back thankfully. She called the school, saying you were sick and couldn't attend. She also went above and beyond to make sure Dad didn't find out. She was keeping your secret for as long as you needed her to. It was the best thing ever. You were picked up by Seokjin who was driving around, picking up all the boys. He already had his nephew, the Kim family, Jimin, and Hoseok. The only person left was Yoongi who lived near the school. When you guys picked him up, Mr. Yoo was busy getting ready to come into school early. Only Ms. Min came out of the house and she watched Yoongi rushed to the cramped car. Not after she demanded a goodbye kiss from him.

Yoongi entered the car, pink as ever. He didn't want to hear any teasing from his friends. Namjoon and Hoseok were holding in their laughter. You thought it was sweet! Even Seokjin was smiling as he drove away. Jimin didn't seem to care and Taehyung was looking out the window. He suddenly appeared a little down, but you didn't think too much of it. It was pretty early in the morning and you knew he would gain more energy as the day went on. The only person who bothered to say anything was Jungkook. He looked at his hyung, commenting that he's close with his mom too. Jungkook was the only person Yoongi allowed to make a comment.

By the time you guys were arriving to the venue, all of you were properly waking up. Seokjin was slowly driving through the parking lot as the zoo did vocal warm ups together. They did tongue twisters and little things to get their voices ready. Seokjin would occasionally join in, but he was more focused on finding a parking spot in the designated area. You had your things prepared for once you guys get out. In your hands was their name tags. Namjoon was carrying the backing track for I Need You. They would rely on harmony vocals, but the boys were going to do it all live.

"Let's finish this tech day!" Seokjin cheered as he finally parked the car. The little zoo was losing it. They couldn't wait to hop out and get back on stage. All their shrieks alarmed the mouse in the driver's seat. Even the fox next to you was left wide eyed and alert.

"Come on, Hyung! Get out so we can sign it!" The puppy was running around. Namjoon sighed, unbuckling himself as fast as he could. The rest of you got out at a slower pace than the zoo would have liked. They were all extremely hyper, bouncing and unable to stay still.

"Now don't waste all your energy out in the parking lot." Hoseok put his hands on his hips. The three boys stopped, staring up at their hyung in admiration. "We have to perfectly let it out during our run through. Not too much and not too little. Think you boys can do that?"

"Obviously!" Jungkook smirked.

"We won't let you down, Hoseok hyung!" Jimin nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Let's get on the move then." Namjoon began lightly pushing Taehyung in the direction of the staff. Most of the staff were near the stage, but there was a few walking around the tent and parking area. Mainly to check if the appropriate people are showing up and not strangers who were unauthorized.

"Are we going to celebrate after tech today too?" Taehyung asked.

"That hasn't been decided yet. We'll have to see what time we finish at," You stated.

"I packed snacks for us!" Seokjin smiled.

"I was there for that! He came to my store and bought us things!!" Jimin bounced.

"What kind of snacks?" Yoongi raised a brow suspiciously.

Of course, Seokjin bought healthy snacks. He didn't want you guys eating junk food in front of the competition. He wanted his members to make it look like they take care of their body seriously too. The zoo was impressed with his thinking even if they were disappointed with their food options. It was only you and your friends who just didn't feel like eating healthy things. Plain and simple. Yoongi was the first to complain, but Seokjin wasn't hearing it. He stuffed seaweed into Yoongi's mouth before eating the rest for himself. Yoongi grumbled as he munched on the food. The eight of you signed in at the table and were free to find a spot in the seats. The boys only had to wait for their call. In the meantime, they can practice and warm up on the ground.

They tried not to be too loud when other groups were on stage. Your boys stayed respectful as always. All of them had their large nametags pinned on their chests with your help. They didn't all need your help, but after one boy insisted that it was the manager's job to do so then it got into the little zoo's heads. You were going to ignore it, but he began whining and reminding you of the time you helped Namjoon. Now you aren't going to name the name of the boy, but you were ready to fight Hoseok in that moment. Either way, they were all slowly going over the choreography as much as they could. There was some floor work that they just didn't have any space for.

The boys worked with what they could. They recorded themselves and were currently reviewing the video. Each of the mentally noting how their bodies moved. Hoseok was the one watching it carefully, replaying it a couple times to give advice to certain members. As they tweaked a few things, you noticed a group coming up to you guys. Nine males all dressed in exercise clothes with smirks on their faces. It seems now that five groups have been cut off, you guys will be seeing more of them in future tech rehearsals. Implying that both groups will proceed forward which you have no doubt will happen. The rival members looked ready to dominate the stage and shake off the sympathy reputation they had earned. As soon as they appeared, BTS stopped practicing themselves.

"Don't worry! We didn't see anything of what you guys are preparing." Sangchan chuckled. "We actually want it to be a surprise. So when we go on stage, it'd be nice if you guys covered your ears and turned away."

"You don't want us seeing?" You asked. Jungkook hopped over with Taehyung and Jimin by his side. Right away, the maknae line of D-Crunch were giving smiles to their rivals. They quietly waved without their hyungs knowing.

"Oooh, a surprise! I like that!" Taehyung giggled.

"I'll hide in the bathroom and play my own music really loudly!" Jimin agreed to go along with it.

"Not too loud though! We still need to practice!" Jeongseung smiled.

"Exactly! Once we're on that stage, ignore us and be respectful!" Chanyoung put his hands on his hips.

"Those kind of sound like polar opposites, but okay." Hyunwoo grinned. "I get what you mean."

"Hello there! Don't be afraid to talk to us!" Hyunoh waved over to the hyungs of your group. They were a bit more hesitant on walking over compared to the zoo. They all wanted to come across as intimidating while your precious zoo were adorable as ever. The older members of D-Crunch were doing their best to be slightly intimidating too. At least the ones that could pull it off. "We just wanted to throw some friendly and competitive banter in the air."

"Don't say friendly." Hyunwook shook his head. "We mean business."

"I'd hope so. Do you boys know who you're messing with?" Seokjin stepped up. To D-Crunch, Seokjin was a twenty-one year old in college. That's all they needed to know and that's all it took to make Hyunwook nervous.

"We think we created the next song that will be constantly played on repeat." Namjoon crossed his arms.

"Oh yeah? Well, our hyungs wrote an awesome song!" Dylan jumped on his toes. "We're going harder this time! We're going to show everyone what we're truly made out of!"

"We'd love to see that!" Jungkook smirked. Though you had a feeling Jungkook wasn't trying to pick a fight, he made sure his tone was taunting. Something to make Dylan feel motivated to show them up.

"You guys aren't ready," Hyunho said quietly. The three rappers of BTS instantly looked in his direction with sharp eyes. Hyunho received most of the intimidating glares from them but appeared unfazed.

"Is that so?" Yoongi raised a brow with intrigue.

"Our choreography is a lot more complicated and the song is catchy too," Minhyuk mentioned. "But no spoilers!"

"You guys better not be raising my expectations." Hoseok laughed. As soon as he said that, the rivalry was growing between the two groups. Sangchan assured Hoseok that he had nothing to worry about. On the day of the contest, just watch in awe and know from the first ten seconds that their group will definitely pass the second round. Namjoon promised the same for his own group.

You personally enjoyed watching them interact like this. It was motivating for the boys even if they did get trash talked a little. They all enjoyed it and once it was boiled down, it all came from a friendly place. D-Crunch has admitted before that they enjoyed what BTS can do. That's why you believe they sucked at being rivals for the longest time. Now they've found an interesting balance of being supportive and also making BTS work harder to keep their spot in the competition. They both earned something out of this relationship, so you didn't mind the teasing much. It's not like Sangchan was the most threatening anyway. As you sipped the tea you had received from staff, you accidentally made eye contact with Hyunho. He looked at you and his lips tugged into a small smile. What? You blinked and he was back to looking at his rivals with a stoic expression. Were you imaging things?

Let's just say, choking on tea doesn't really look cute to the group your managing or to your rival group. You're fine though! Holding in most of your coughs, you assured them that you were fine. It's fair to say that the members of BTS were embarrassed by you. The D-Crunch members were laughing except for Hyunho. He only stared at you, his eyes feeling intense. Once they finally left you were able to breathe peacefully. So you're not going crazy? It was hard to know what was going on with your crush. Does...does this mean you have a chance? You were turning pink at the thought. After having thousands of crushes, does one actually like you back this time?

"Earth to (F/n). Can you hear me?" Hoseok grabbed your face, squishing your cheeks.

"W-What?" You pouted.

"We're about to go on stage." Namjoon pointed his thumb behind him. Seokjin was already running with the zoo onto the large stage.

"Mind recording for us?" Yoongi handed you his phone. "Can you handle that, Baby girl?"

"I can handle it!" You huffed. They all chuckled at your reaction. It was always your reactions that made them enjoy teasing you so much. One day you're just going to kick them all. See how they like that!

The rappers joined the vocals on stage. The lighting directors had already received the email you made about the lights. You wanted a dark blue wash on the stage that took a majority of the space and color. Even with the color wash, you wanted tiny aqua blue lights moving around the boys as they laid on the ground. Slowly the dark blue wash would fade away and the aqua lights would turn white. You just always wanted the white lights moving and flashing. After the chorus when the instrumental comes in with no one singing or rapping, you wanted the stage to get the slightest bit darker so the white flashing lights would really do their thing. Then once it gets to Seokjin's part when he's down on his knees, you want the lights to stop. A light aqua wash over the boys before the final part of the song where their dancing truly becomes almost explosive. As Jimin reaches his high note and goes to center, the white lights will come back moving faster and flashing crazier than before. The lights will then repeat what they usually did during the chorus except for specific parts. Jungkook does a little flip into center and you wanted a large white flash to add power. It would quickly fade away and appear again once the other boys circle Jungkook and fall onto their knees.

That's about it. Your lights continued to remain simple and you weren't going to ask for extreme stage effects. You feel the boys will be able to capture the crowd just fine with their performance. Though you did believe in their performance, you also wanted flower petals. For the opening part when they're on the ground, you want petals falling down and then after Jimin's high note, petals falling down again! You just want their performance to be a complete show and it's a good thing the stage director liked your ideas. They went over it multiple times until the lighting was perfectly cued and timed. It wasn't too hard for the technicians to get the hang of it. Soon the boys had three run throughs all the way before they were finally set free to go. As soon as they heard that they were free to go, the boys lost it. They jumped off the stage and cheered wildly as they rushed to you.

Some of them were ready for food while others wanted to see what you had recorded. They all had to review it so you made sure they focused. The eight of you began walking back to Seokjin's car. Once you guys heard that D-Crunch was called to the stage, you guys had to leave. They ignored BTS's rehearsal and none of you wanted to know what they had prepared. You wanted to be surprised tomorrow during live taping. This time with no sound accidents of any kind. You hoped the rivals got their perfect performance this time. Some people online have been saying that they didn't deserve to get past the first round. That they're only there because of how good they are at getting pity. Well, you can't wait for your rivals to prove them wrong.

The little zoo rushed to Seokjin's car. All three of them were tugging at the car doors. They desperately wanted to get in with their impatience. Seokjin was yelling at them to stop tugging so he could unlock the door. That task took longer than it needed to. The eldest sighed tiredly, contemplating if he actually wanted children of his own in the future. As everyone slowly got in the car, you noticed one member dragging their feet. They were staring at the ground in deep thought. They didn't even realize that the rest were waiting for him. Furrowing your brows, you stopped moving your body into the passenger's seat. They stopped and looked almost lost, completely different how they were earlier.

"Everything okay?" You asked. They looked up from the ground, staring at you in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Why are you so out of it all of a sudden?" You walked around the car to make your way to them. The rest of the boys in the car watched as you put your hand against their forehead. He blushed as he stared down at you. "Earth to Hoseok."

"O-Oh! I was just thinking to myself if..." Hoseok started off acting as if he was fine and chirpy as always. Then he slowly began to fall off again. "...if I'm ready..."

"For what?" You removed your hand. Hoseok sighed as he looked at his friends who were waiting in the car. They weren't rushing him though. He noticed how every single one of them were carrying some form of worry for him. They would wait for him as long as he needed. He finally had true friends by his side.

"Do you think they'd be in the mood to meet my Eomma?" Hoseok quietly spoke. His mom? This was big considering how much Hoseok sheltered his mother from his life. You figured the interactions between Yoongi and his mom have been getting to the boy. You smiled as you patted Hoseok's shoulder.

"I'm sure they will be if you just ask them."

Hoseok nodded at your words. You went back into the passenger's seat as Hoseok walked to the backseats. Jimin stood up as best as he could, knowing the rules. The three young ones had to sit on their hyung's laps or else they wouldn't fit. Though they all offered to sit in the trunk, Seokjin immediately declined their idea. Hoseok took his seat and took in a deep breath. Jimin stared at his hyung softly, hoping to cheer him up. The others in the car were quiet as well. Seokjin didn't start the car, noticing that there was something Hoseok wanted to say. Then he finally asked it.

"Would you guys like to meet my Eomma?" Hoseok bit his bottom lip.

They were silent at first. Everyone exchanged quick glances before nodding and agreeing. All of them figured you guys were going to head towards Hoseok's house. His mom would probably fond over all of you and offer to cook something instead of letting you guys go out to buy fast food. Instead, Hoseok tapped Seokjin's shoulders. The teacher listened to him as Hoseok told him that his mom wasn't living with him in his house. Others didn't think much of it and it even flew over Seokjin's head as he reversed out of his parking spot. Seokjin asked what the address was and abruptly braked the car the second Hoseok told him that she was staying at Kwangdong Hospital.

No one said anything in that moment. Seokjin silently nodded without asking any personal questions. He drove out of the venue and headed towards the direction of the hospital. Taehyung tried asking Namjoon what was going on, but his brother told him to just wait. Jimin hugged Hoseok who needed it. Jungkook stayed quiet with Yoongi despite occasionally glancing in Hoseok's direction. You looked out the window and eventually saw the large hospital. Seokjin drove into the parking structure and you all quietly got out. Hoseok led the way, checking in and giving you all visitor's passes. The eight of you followed him to his mom's room. He knocked on the door and slowly stepped in while the rest of you waited outside.

"Eomma, it's me." Hoseok waved at her. Ms. Jung was frustratedly pressing the buttons on her TV remote. She didn't hear her son as she focused on making the dang thing work. She angrily huffed as Hoseok stood next to her. "Eomma."

"I've been calling for a nurse for the last five minutes! I just can't get this darn—" Ms. Jung turned her head to see her son. Her eyes widened, joy radiating from her eyes immediately. A gasp left her lips as she covered her mouth. Almost as if she was fangirling that her son came to visit. She quickly pulled him into a hug as he laughed. "Hoseokie!! You came to visit!!"

"Of course, Eomma." Hoseok slowly pulled away but held her hand in his. "I also...brought my friends. Would you like to meet them?"

"Y-You're friends? Like the ones I saw you dancing with on TV?" Ms. Jung began to touch her thinning hair. Though Hoseok wanted to hold her hand, she was busy trying to fix herself without a mirror.

"Yeah, them." Hoseok grinned. "So you saw that?"

"Of course, I did! I had all the staff here watch and everyone has been singing your lovely little song!" Ms. Jung grabbed a bag next to her. She instantly pulled out a light purple knitted beanie that was a bit used and old. It had a tiny knitted flower on it. She quickly put it on and smiled at Hoseok. "How do I look?"

"Oh my God, you still have that? Why?" Hoseok shook his head. "It's so old. Throw that away. I can buy you a new one."

"What? No! I still have this for a reason!" Ms. Jung pursed her lips. "You gave it to me when you were in fifth grade after saving up all your money. Best birthday ever! You also didn't answer my question, Hoseok. How do I look?"

"...beautiful." Hoseok smiled softly. "As always."

"Oh, I raised my boy right!" Ms. Jung clutched her chest. "Okay, let them in. I'm ready!"

"Everyone! You can all come in!" Hoseok motioned his arm for all of you to hurry inside. The seven of you had been quietly standing outside. Everyone had been listening in with sad expressions. While Hoseok spoke to his mother, you told them all not to be negative. His mother is strong and won't be happy if they give her pity of any kind. She'll out right call them out on it. Hoseok is happy with his mom and Ms. Jung is naturally a bright person like her son. All of you should just act as normal and respectable as always. Soon you all filtered in, bowing and waving at Ms. Jung. She smiled at everyone and her eyes twinkled once she saw you.

"Okay, I think I have the names memorized already!" Ms. Jung eyed each of the boys. All of you were circled around her bed, a bit confused. She already knows their name? She giggled as she saw the confusion on their faces. "You boys introduced yourself on live television! Not to mention, one of the nurses showed me a video of you boys online talking about what it felt like to survive the first round."

"Are you a big fan of BTS?" You grinned.

"Very much!" She nodded.

"Alright, then say their names and I won't help." Hoseok allowed her to take the floor.

"You better not." She nudged him before her eyes landed on the bunny first. "Jungkook! Jimin! (F/n)! Namjoon! Yoongi! Taehyung! Seokjin!"

"You did it!!" Taehyung cheered.

"We should never underestimate her, I'm assuming." Yoongi chuckled as Hoseok nodded.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Jung." Namjoon bowed again.

"You're so proper." Ms. Jung happily swayed in her bed.

"D-Do you have a favorite member?" Jungkook questioned.

"It's Hoseok, who else?" Jimin crossed his arms.

"Actually, I think my favorite is Seokjin." Ms. Jung cooed. Seokjin's eyes grew at the news. He froze the instant everyone turned to him. Despite his ears turning bright red, Seokjin blew a kiss in her direction. You raised a brow at his action, but Ms. Jung loved it. She was clapping loudly in utter delight. Hoseok almost looked disturbed from what he was witnessing.

"You don't mean that, Eomma..." Hoseok shook his head.

"I do! He's so handsome, has a lovely voice, and is well mannered!" Ms. Jung huffed. She looked over at you and you knew she wanted your help in defending her. Right away, you had her back in a heartbeat.

"Why wouldn't Seokjin oppa be her favorite? I think he's a good choice!" You smirked. Ms. Jung loved your support and Hoseok was not too happy about that.

"I am a good choice, aren't I?" Seokjin posed, becoming confident in the room. Some of the members laughed at him and others knew this was going to feed a strong ego. In that moment, a nurse entered the room with food for Ms. Jung. She thanked them and ordered all of you to find something in the cafeteria and come back to join her for lunch. She'd love to have company for today. All of you agreed to come back with food. The eight of you hurried to get lunch and came back. Sitting around Ms. Jung, all of you listened to her as she had many stories to tell. Not caring if they embarrassed her son, of course.


	53. Second Round

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: D-Crunch's song is Stealer and they perform the full version in my fanfic.)

Ch.53

Saturday came and the boys were ready for the second round of the contest. Their outfits were packed up in Seokjin's trunk. They were going to be wearing simple outfits this time. It kept the same color scheme as the first round which was black and white. The main reason you wanted to stick to the lack of color was because you wanted to go all out for the third round. You were extremely confident the boys would pass the second round. They passed the first round in the middle rank, but you knew this song would bring them to a higher rank. Five groups would be getting eliminated today and you knew it wasn't going to be yours.

There was another sleepover at Namjoon's house. This time it wasn't as chaotic as last time. Rules were set up and the boys easily fell asleep this time anyway. They were tired out from rehearsing for hours after the hospital visit. They also all knew what it felt like to perform on stage. Though some of them were craving the feeling again, that didn't stop them from instantly crashing out on Namjoon's living room floor. You fell asleep easily yourself with a slightly cleaner conscious. Mom knew who you were with while Dad still believed your friends were all girls. It makes you wonder when he'll find out the truth. Either way, Mom told you that she was going to watch the contest as she cooks. She already promised to vote for BTS so you were super happy about that.

At least you knew you had one other vote going to BTS. Though Hoseok was telling everyone at school for the past week to support his group, to watch the show, and vote...you doubt they will. They'll either ignore him or watch the show for laughs. Hopefully they'll be left impressed with what your boys are able to do. You just don't want your classmates voting for other groups just to be rude. That's your worst nightmare and the main reason you woke up earlier than intended. It was on your mind a bit. You ended up anxiously making seven lunches for the boys. That got your mind to focus on something else which helped a lot.

The alarm clock eventually rang. Without wasting time, the boys jumped onto their feet to get ready. Though it was the early morning and many of them were still groggy, they pushed through. They needed to be ready to beat the second round. Last time the boys ranked seventh out of the sixteen that passed. D-Crunch ranked fifth so you needed your boys to do a little better. Get higher in the ranks and preferably pass D-Crunch. They are rivals after all. After they pass D-Crunch, you want them to rank first. The group that got first had a catchy song and good looking members. You'll give them that, but their vocals were a bit unstable live. Their singing was strained and sometimes their synchronization could be better. But that's just you and you're completely biased for BTS.

On the way over to the venue, the rappers were looking over the performance of the group that had ranked first. They stayed polite, but some of their critiques did point out some of the things you thought yourself. Even if they won the first rank, you doubt they would be able to stay first. The boys shook out their nerves and stopped watching the videos of other groups. It only made them nervous, but you knew they had this in the bag. Something about I Need You felt so powerful. Though the lyrics sounded like they were speaking about a girl, you could see the intention with the boys. They need the fans, their views, their votes.

"You boys got this!" You shouted. You didn't want any of them feeling nervous or anxious. There was no time to have such feelings. Even if they were inevitable, you hoped the good and positive feelings would overpower those pesky ones.

"I'm the only man here." Seokjin sighed as he parked the car.

"Barely." Jungkook grinned.

"Kookie! I swear!" Seokjin almost jumped out of his seat. The only thing holding him back was his seat belt. Jungkook giggled, clinging onto Yoongi for safety.

"I got'chu, Kookie. I'll make sure the old man doesn't abuse you." Yoongi hugged the bunny.

"I was not—! How dare you?" Seokjin huffed, his face entirely pink.

Everyone laughed as Seokjin lost it. His voice would get ridiculously fast as he spouted nonsense to defend himself. He wanted all of you to stay in the car to hear him out, but all of you were leaving. It looked like Jungkook was really happy about his uncle's reaction. The bunny wouldn't stop laughing, even bending over to slap his legs. While the rest of you walked over to sign in the group, Seokjin rushed to have a tickle fight with Jungkook. The bunny was squeaking and trying to fight back the mouse. Those two usually weren't loud by themselves, but once they were together...Namjoon looked embarrassed as he confirmed to the staff that he's with those two.

You had to pull the two boys apart. They're causing a scene in front of all the tents. The last thing you want is for other groups to see the maknae and eldest of BTS publicly tickling each other nonstop. They won't be intimidated if they see that. It felt strange having to scold a twenty-five year old, but at least people won't think he's that old if they see him acting childishly with a thirteen year old. Once Namjoon had the group signed in, all of you headed towards the tent of the group. You stayed outside while they changed into black dress pants, white collared shirts with floral designs, and black blazers. There were a few differences though. Jungkook was wearing a black knitted sweater instead with a floral design. Then Jimin had a plain white turtleneck in place of a collared dress shirt. There was a tiny splash of red in the floral design, but it worked. Yoongi was also given a black fedora as an accessory.

"You can come in now!" Jimin's voice yelled.

"Great! I want to see how you all look!" You walked inside, instantly gasping. They all looked so good! Their clothes perfectly matched well with one another. It was a success! You're no fashion person, but you think you're nailing their outfits. Sometimes Namjoon and Taehyung try to help you with how to dress them. Seeing them all dressed in their outfits made it feel like things were beginning to click together. "Everything is going to be perfect once you guys perform! Oh my gosh, yes!"

"You think so, Manager-nim?" Hoseok chuckled as he raised a brow at you.

"I have no doubts anymore!" You nodded confidently.

"Noona, watch! I'm Namjoon hyung!" Taehyung waved his hands at you to catch your attention. The second your eyes were on him, he began to imitate his brother. You laughed to see him covering his right eye with two fingers. A move Namjoon typically always did during his rap. Namjoon frowned at the impersonation, quickly grabbing the boy by the shoulders. "H-Hey!"

"Awe, he just looks up to you!" You insisted.

"Mock me and I will throw you off stage." Namjoon pinched the puppy's cheeks.

"A-Ah! Ow! Okay!" Taehyung smacked his brother's hand away. With a big pout, Taehyung rubbed his cheeks. "I get it."

"Good." Namjoon sighed. Taehyung slowly smiled, but Namjoon didn't think much of it. He only thought his brother was quickly returning to his usual happy attitude. What Namjoon didn't know was that Jimin was mimicking his rap part right behind him. Taehyung did his best not to laugh and you had to look away. It was pretty funny.

"Do I actually look good with this hat?" Yoongi tilted it in the mirror he was standing in front of. The other boys in the room looked at him, quickly nodding. Yoongi groaned at their responses. "You're not telling the truth!"

"Of course it looks good! I picked out the hat." You crossed your arms. Yoongi rolled his eyes, not convinced by you either.

"Yoongi-ya can pull off a lot of looks and he looks very charming with a hat on." Seokjin walked over to him, heavily placing his hands on Yoongi's shoulders. The redhead sighed heavily and gave up trying to convince others the hat looked bad.

"Whatever. Just help me put in my contacts." Yoongi pulled out a tiny contact case from his pocket. Seokjin smiled as he followed the boy to a seat. In that moment, the other members rushed to their bags. All of them got colored contacts to stand out. They were mainly light colors like blue, grey, and lilac. One by one, they began putting them in. You smiled as you watched Seokjin trying his best to put them in for Yoongi. At least he got the job done. That's when Taehyung rushed up to you with only one contact in. The other was still in its water when he held it up to you.

"Help me, Noona." He puffed out his bottom lip. "It was hard to put in the first one."

"...promise me you won't blink?" You tried not to give him any reason to be nervous. He nodded and you took the contact carefully. As you helped Taehyung, Namjoon silently watched you assist his little brother. He smiled softly with how much care and attention you gave to the puppy. You lightly combed Taehyung's hair and adjusted his little blazer. As soon as Taehyung had both contacts in, he happily rushed out to find staff. The boys needed to get their microphones on and you could already hear other groups testing theirs.

"You're very reliable, Manager-nim." Namjoon walked up to you. Looking up at him, you couldn't help but laugh.

"Just call me (F/n). It's so weird having you guys address me like that." You smiled to see his dimples. Just seeing his smile made you feel warm inside. Slowly, you noticed a couple hairs poking out from his styled hair. That's no good. You went on your toes to perfectly pat down those stray hairs on Namjoon's head. Grinning at your work, you didn't notice his flushed face. He only stared at the ground with his now purple eyes. Eventually he stared up at you and smiled.

"I'm glad I'm your favorite member." Namjoon hugged you. Oh? You don't remember stating that. Though the hug was surprising, you hugged him back. Due to his height, you couldn't see Hoseok and Yoongi glaring daggers into his back. They began walking over and were immediately stopped once Taehyung jumped inside the tent.

"Time to get our mics on! Come on!" Taehyung yelled. Namjoon released you after giving you a light peck against the forehead. Jungkook, Jimin, and Seokjin left the tent without witnessing that. It was your turn to have your face become flushed. Taehyung stared in shock as Namjoon left you flustered. The president walked out of the tent calmly. You were used to Hoseok's affection and Yoongi's on the occasion, but Namjoon was a different story. Where did that confidence come from? Taehyung was giggling.

"Let's go, Tae." Hoseok sighed.

"This is bullsh*t." Yoongi growled. You smiled as you touched your forehead. If Taehyung wasn't here, you knew they would probably fight Namjoon. Shaking your head, you followed them out to the stage. The show should be starting in a couple hours. You still have plenty of time to waste before then.

The boys had their microphones set backstage. The microphone boxes could be a little heavy, but the boys had them properly clipped on them. While you waited with them, you noticed the group that was currently on stage. They sang into their microphones before the technicians told them that they were free to return to their tents. Jungkook came to your side in excitement to see the group walking over. As soon as Jungkook got one of them to make eye contact with him, he was smirking. Rivals until the end it seems. Dylan rushed over to Jungkook meanwhile the rest of D-Crunch slowly walked over. The rest of them narrowing their eyes with the other members of BTS.

"We're going to crush you guys." Dylan smiled.

"I doubt it, Yeonjae." Jungkook was smug.

"Once this contest is all over, I'm wrestling you in the mud!" Dylan huffed. "If I win then you have to call me Dylan!"

"If I win then I get to keep calling you Yeonjae AND we have to exchange numbers." Jungkook held out his hand.

"For what?" Dylan raised a brow. "To become friends or something?"

"Exactly." Jungkook nodded his head.

"Gross." Dylan took Jungkook's hand, shaking it firmly. The two smiled at each other as the leaders of their groups walked up to each other.

"Take the stage, Big guy." Sangchan motioned his hand out to the stage. Namjoon let out a tiny chuckle of amusement.

"I hope to see a true performance from you guys. Without issues this time." Namjoon held his hand out.

"We can certainly do that for you." Sangchan smirked, shaking Namjoon's hand.

Namjoon soon told the rest of his members to come walk out on stage with him. You waved as the boys listened to the technicians speaking to them. One by one, they checked if their microphones were responsive. As they did that, you turned and your attention traveled over to your rival group. They walked backstage and were joking around with each other as you looked over their outfits. You couldn't tell much about the concept they were going for. They only wore red and black this time. Their look this time around was a bit edgy, you suppose. As you looked them over, Hyunoh turned to face you with a smile. Was it obvious that you were staring for too long?

A blush came across your face as Hyunoh asked if you were checking them out. As if you would check your rival group out! No way! That didn't stop him from smiling and posing for you. The younger members found it funny to see their hyung being his confident and bold self. You needed a second to recover. Even if you had a strong comeback, you highly doubt he would be fazed. He'd probably find a way to make your retort backfire on you with a cheerful smile on his face. He was a lot more dangerous than he looked. You were ready to take a fighting stance as they walked over to you. You told them right away that BTS wouldn't like it if they caught them talking to you.

"Well, BTS isn't here right now." Hyunoh walked up to you.

"Yeah, they're right there." Chanyoung pointed to your boys on stage.

"You're ruining the joke, kid." Hyunwoo shook his head.

"I-It was a joke?" Chanyoung blinked to himself in shock.

"I don't get how he survives." Jeongseung chuckled.

"Actually, we have something to tell you." Dylan perked up.

"Really? What's that?" You tilted your head. You had no idea what they would want to share with you. Their younger members stood next to each other with proud smiles. Sangchan stepped closer to you, the rest of his members staring at him.

"Our audition song was called 'Palace' and we passed with it. We were told though that there was an overuse of English words which was fair, but..." Sangchan sighed.

"Our song. They can shove it." Hyunwook crossed his arms. He had a tiny pout at the little memory. The younger members imitated his little annoyed reaction.

"Basically, focus to the lyrics in the beginning of our new song called 'Stealer'," Minhyuk said as he gave you a thumbs up. The lyrics? You smiled as you agreed to their little request. That wouldn't be too hard. You're super excited to see them perform after all. Though you don't think you'll tell that to them out loud since you're the manager for a different group. The idea sounded strange to support your rival group.

"Cheer for us, Noona. Especially since I'm your favorite." Hyunwoo moved his circle rimmed glasses up and down.

"The hell you are." Hyunwook scoffed. He shoved the boy away as their maknaes snickered. Dylan rushed to Hyunwoo, jabbing at his stomach. The others teased Hyunwoo and he took it just for them.

"We should go get our makeup done, but it was nice having this chat." Sangchan clapped his hands together. "See you around, Noona."

"So I'm Noona to all of you guys now?" You laughed. "I guess we've gotten close."

"Not too close." Hyunwook scoffed as the rest of the members began walking off. You rolled your eyes, never understanding what Hyunwook's problem was. To be fair, you gave him a glare back. He was the only one who would be down for fighting you and you appreciated that a lot. The others just wanted to fight the members, but Hyunwook saw you as a rival too. "Not like I can call you 'noona' though."

"We're the same year, but we're not friends." You smirked.

"Anything, but that." Hyunwook rolled his eyes. "Though I don't agree with who Hyunwoo said was your favorite of our group, I think you should definitely cheer for us. Cheer for the group that will obviously win this entire thing."

"Is that so?" You teased. "I know my boys will win, but I'll give you boys some scraps." Hyunwook narrowed his eyes on you and you were enjoying it. "I'll cheer you on as my favorite, Hyunwook."

"Y-Your favorite?" Hyunwook took a step back. He cleared his throat, automatically straightening his posture. "Obviously! Who else? It's what I deserve."

"It is." You giggled as he strutted away. He could be such a diva when he wanted to be. As you watched him walk away, you noticed one last member was standing there. He hadn't said a thing the entire time. His eyes remained on you as you stared at him curiously. "Is there something you need?"

"It's nothing, Friend." Hyunho chuckled to himself. He began to turn away from you. He's the same year as you. Despite Hyunwook stating that you guys weren't friends, Hyunho said otherwise. You smiled and bounced on your toes.

"I'll cheer for you!" You heard yourself say. Hyunho looked at you over his shoulder with a tiny smile. He continued to walk silently. That left you able to hear your heart pounding inside your chest. You were slowly beginning to feel like you weren't crazy or imagining things. It felt like Hyunho was giving you signs. If he truly was then it felt exciting to have feelings be reciprocated. At the same time, a little part of you was scared and didn't want it to go further. That's strange. You'd normally be happy to have your crush like you back. Maybe because you know your Dad won't be happy or the members of BTS. Sighing to yourself, you turn around and immediately bumped into three boys. "What the heck!?"

"Do you even watch where you go?" Yoongi grinned. "Or do you like bumping into us?"

"You look a little flushed in the face. Are you okay?" Namjoon bent down slightly to put his hand against your forehead.

"Oh no! We can't have you sick!" Hoseok whined. "Is it because of how hard you've been working for us?

"You guys are a lot to handle..." You sighed. "I'm just gonna take a seat and wait for recording. That's easier to deal with."

The three boys watched you quietly before laughing. It's like they all shared the same brain cell. They were all on the same page. You feel they've become so close because of the group. Not just because of school and tutoring. It was just a thought that came to your head. It was their passion that brought them so close together. As you walked off the stage, you heard the vocals shout bye to you. At least they were more respectful towards you. They got on your nerves a lot less. Though you love your precious rappers, sometimes you wanted to give them a good scolding. Just thinking about scolding them, you couldn't help but laugh. You knew right away that no one would take it seriously and it would end up being a joke. Gosh, you love them.

Time managed to fly by even with you in the crowd. Little by little, people began appearing. This time there were more banners and posters made. People were becoming fans of certain groups. You smiled once you saw a girl have a tiny poster with Seokjin's face. He's so popular that it made you want to laugh. He didn't even want to be in the group! You shook your head as you returned your focus on the stage. Music was playing as the seats slowly began to fill themselves. The hosts were on the side of the stage, speaking to staff and getting their makeup done.

You sent one last supportive text to the boys. Even though they already knew, you wished them the best. Tons of love too. There was a lot of heart emojis in the group chat to express your passion. It was just a personal touch. As you put your phone away, you rummaged through your bag to find your personal BTS cloth banner. Everything was fine until you noticed someone dressed in all black was standing right next to you. She wasn't taking her seat at all, almost as if she wanted you to get up. Did she need something? You looked up to check if it was a staff member, but it wasn't. You gasped lightly to see Ms. Min staring down at you. She came to see Yoongi perform?

Standing up right away wasn't your first response. Instead you stared at her as if she were a ghost of some kind. She looked slightly amused at how expressive your face was. Wide eyes that were repeatedly blinking and an open mouth. The second she let out a chuckle, you finally jumped onto your feet. You were bowing to her in an instant. This was something you would have never expected. She actually came to see her son? You welcomed her and stuttered all over the place as you tried to explain your reaction. It was just such a thoughtful action! Plus, she never mentioned coming here or ever watching her son on the TV. You thought she was going to pretend this entire thing wasn't happening...

"Are you breathing normally now?" Ms. Min asked. You gave her an awkward smile, noting how similar her and her son were. "I didn't think my arrival would be that much of a surprise, but I don't know why I would believe that."

"Does Yoongi know you're here?" You bit your lip. She shook her head, looking around the area. It felt like she was inspecting the view and judging it harshly. She had the same unreadable eyes as Yoongi, an intimidating aura leaving her. Soon her eyes landed on something.

"What is that?" She pointed at something behind you. Turning around, your eyes soon landed on a girl with Yoongi's face on a poster. She was standing next to the Seokjin girl.

"Oh! Wow, another one!" You clapped your hands together. Ms. Min looked utterly confused and worried. She didn't understand why someone had her son's face on a poster. "They're a fan of Yoongi's group. She must like Yoongi the most."

"Really?" Ms. Min quietly mumbled. She pursed her lips as she took a seat right next to you. She remained silent the entire time. She never answered your question if Yoongi knew she was here. You doubt he was aware. The two didn't really talk much lately. Though you've witnessed them being close, you don't think they have those moments often. Ms. Min is clearly making an effort to get more involved in her son's life. She wanted to see what he was so heavily invested in for herself. Instead of shutting him down and being afraid of things not working out, she was giving him a chance.

Ms. Min and you didn't speak as the competition started. She kept her eyes straight head, watching the hosts excitedly introduce the show. They summarized the concept of the contest before mentioning that five groups won't make it past this round. Ms. Min shifted in her seat, clearly worried for her son's chances. The hosts then moved to the side as they played clips of the groups that had advanced to the second round. They showed snippets of the groups rehearsing during tech, either on stage or on the side. They showed groups getting their makeup done and preparing for their performance. Then one by one, pictures flashed of every single group. Ms. Min didn't say anything when she saw Yoongi on the big screen.

So far her reactions were pretty lacking. You didn't push it or try talking to her in fear of bothering her. The contest soon began and you eventually forgot that Ms. Min was right next to you. The groups were good. Some managed to raise the level of their performance while none of them really grew from the first round. At the same time, you couldn't expect too much. They only had a week to perfect their second performance. All you have to say is that its obvious which groups were prepared to advance while some weren't. It wasn't long before the hosts came onto the stage to introduce the boys you have been waiting to see the entire time. You waved your banner around as BTS came onto the stage. Ms. Min furrowed her brows as she saw the seven boys all lie down on the ground.

"Aren't they supposed to dance?" She questioned. It almost made you want to laugh at how confused she was. It also didn't help that the song began playing and they stayed on the ground. Ms. Min was convinced they had lost the competition at this point. She didn't know what they were doing as Jungkook and Namjoon sang into their mics, repeating '_fall, everything, fall, everything, scatter_' with flower petals falling lightly on them.

"_Because of you, I'm becoming ruined. I wanna stop, I don't want you anymore. Can't do it. This sucks. Please don't give me any excuses!_" Yoongi sat up, aggressively looking out into the crowd. Ms. Min stopped questioning at this point to see her son finally rap. Right from the beginning too. With a large grin on your face, you just kept waving your banner.

Hoseok was then lifted up into a sitting position with Taehyung under him. The puppy had worked up his strength to hold his hyung up and Hoseok always tried not to be too heavy. "_You can't do this to me__. All of the things you said are like a mask. It hides the truth and rips me apart! It pierces me, I'm going crazy, I hate this! Take it all away, I hate you!_" Ms. Min blinked silently, bewildered by the lyrics of the song. She didn't understand why they were coming off so hateful all of sudden.

"_But you're my everything. Everything. Everything._" Taehyung sang as Namjoon shouted _'your my_' in between. Yoongi slowly came to the front with a frown on his face.

"_Please go away, huh!_" Yoongi huffed. He turned, following the choreography. Ms. Min didn't seem too happy even when Taehyung and Namjoon continued after Yoongi. She looked upset until Jimin took center, finally hitting the chorus part that you knew would catch the crowd's attention.

"_I need you girl__! Why am I in love alone, why am I hurting alone?_" Jimin moved to the side as Jungkook took center.

"_I need you girl! Why do I keep needing you when I know I'll get hurt?"_ Jungkook sang before Jimin moved to center again. This part is where a lot of the females in the crowd were starting to cheer wildly with all the body rolls. You felt embarrassed now as Ms. Min's eyes widened._ "I need you girl, you're beautiful~!_"__  
  


_"I need you girl, you're so cold.__ I need you girl, I need you girl. I need you girl, I need you girl!_" The lyrics alternated between Jungkook and Jimin.

After they finished, a dance break occurred which you were cheering loudly for. Ms. Min was taken by surprise and this time she was finally reacting. She had a small smile on her face. When the dance break finished, Namjoon began to rap right away with Taehyung singing bits of his rap. You bit your bottom lip when Namjoon covered his eye with two fingers. Seokjin started to sing, walking away from the others in the group. You glanced at Ms. Min, seeing her eyes glued to Seokjin instead of Yoongi. She was in awe and you were bouncing in joy.

"Who's he?" Ms. Min quickly asked.

"Seokjin oppa!" You stated, seeing her smile. She lightly swayed as Jungkook took center again to start the powerful choreography all over again. Jimin and Jungkook switched continuously with their lyrics and levels during the dance. The boys then scattered with Seokjin down on his knees, singing emotionally.

"Oh!" Ms. Min bounced. Yoongi is going to love this! His mom found her favorite member and it's not him! You cheered as Taehyung stepped in to sing. While Seokjin took Taehyung's old spot, Taehyung took Jungkook's. The maknae walked and sang before Jimin walked up to center to hit his high note. You were screaming at this point, extremely proud of them. The rest of the crowd was loving this song too. Petals were falling again and you loved the stage the boys had. You sang along with the chorus you knew so well and Ms. Min was mouthing the lyrics that were getting repeated multiple times. She stopped once she saw Jungkook do a little flip into the center. She was stunned as the boys all dropped onto their knees around the maknae with the lights flashing brightly. Powerful, right? The boys continued their dance break strong and walked off once the song finished, the stage turning black.

"They did so good!" You screamed at the top of your lungs.

"I...I never knew Yoongi could dance like that!" Ms. Min laughed, but not in a mocking way. She was quickly tearing up as she watched her son walk off stage with his members. "Min Yoongi!!"

Yoongi heard his name, looking around the crowd. He couldn't find the source of the voice and continued walking. The boys left as the hosts came on, commenting on how catchy the song was. They had good things to say and you knew the boys had gained a ton of more fans. Ms. Min searched for tissues in her purse. You couldn't believe she was crying. You offered to hug her, but Ms. Min insisted she was fine. She's just like her son. Ignoring what she said, you gave her a hug anyway. She leaned into your hug and wiped her face, muttering about how she's a bad mother. It was hard not to have your heart broken to hear that.

"You did so well raising Yoongi. You did the best you could as a single mother." You assured her as she crumpled up her tissues. "Even though Yoongi might not say it often, he loves you. He appreciates you so much."

"...thank you, (F/n)." She smiled as she stared at the ground.

"Do you want my banner?" You asked. Ms. Min lifted her head up and laughed once she held her hand out. Something in Ms. Min changed the second she held the banner. You watched her steal your title as number one fan of BTS. She was proudly waving it around that you were slightly embarrassed. At the same time, you were loving it. The camera recording audience reactions quickly got a couple seconds of Ms. Min losing it. This was the best day of your life. Yoongi better see this clip.

Ms. Min was expressing herself more than you had ever seen. You never thought you would get to see her jumping around and chanting BTS. Her smile was huge even as other groups went on to perform. Swaying side to side, you enjoyed watching the other groups. Maybe it was just your imagination, but you felt like BTS stole the show. They did much better than anyone ever expected them too. People were impressed with them. As you clapped your hands for the group currently leaving the stage, the hosts were finally introducing D-Crunch to stage. Here they come! You'll finally get to see what they've been working on this entire time. A smile came on your face to see BTS watching from the side of the stage.

There were a lot of cheers for D-Crunch and you knew a lot of them were to make them feel better for what happened last time. Though from the looks on the boys faces, you knew things were going to be different. They were more determined than ever to change the game. They were going to change the reputation they were given. This performance is going to have to be powerful then. Sangchan stood in the middle with the rest of the members standing away from him. Sangchan was given center as the music began to play. He lifted the microphone up to his lips and you made sure to pay attention to the lyrics like they asked you to. Right away, a smile came on your face.

"_Instead of using typical English, I'm just gonna use Korean, you know what I mean?_" Sangchan spoke. The stage was dark with only small white spotlights, but the boys were all holding flashlights. "_I'll represent my team when I say, this is our ceremony. Whether it floats high or gets buried in the ground, the dice has been thrown. I'm confident so listen._" As soon as Sangchan finished saying that, Chanyoung came out to dance with him. Soon Hyunoh and Dylan left their spots to add to the formation. That's when the rest joined in on the dance break before Hyunwook finally began singing. They danced as they occasionally lifted up their flashlights. They had it timed perfectly which let you know they practiced hard since they had to use their lights when the stage lights weren't on. Their lighting remained simple with white spotlights, red back and side lights, and a blue wash.

Now you were really loving the energy the boys had. Ms. Min glanced at you from the corner of her eyes. A small frown came on her face while you were oblivious. You were too busy watching D-Crunch. Soon you didn't notice that you were clapping along to the beat. Once Hyunho began rapping, your smile grew wider. It's as if you were almost embarrassed and happy at the same time. Ms. Min lowered her banner to narrow her eyes down on you. All of the boys were doing so well. You cheered the second Hyunwook took center to hit his high note. That's your rival right there! Hyunwoo jumped into center, but Ms. Min forced you to look away from the performance.

"What are you doing?" Ms. Min huffed.

"W-What do you mean?" You glanced back at the stage. You really didn't want to miss anything. She didn't seem too happy about that.

"We're supporting BTS! Not these guys!" Ms. Min complained.

"I know them though!" You frowned, hoping she would understand. Ms. Min only shook her head and remained a hard core fan of BTS. You chuckled but went back to supporting D-Crunch. You had to admit that their song was a lot catchier than their last one. Then their choreography was a lot busier and filled with more energy. You could see their own style and charisma poured into their performance. Just by watching them, you knew that they would pass the second round. "Yeah!!" You clapped your hands the second Chanyoung did a front flip into center. That earned a lot of cheers as they continued to finish their performance strong. The boys began to clumped up in the middle as the song came to an end and finished with nodding their head up. "GO HYUNWOOK!!" You cupped your hands around your mouth just so he could hear you.

Hyunwook almost lost his cool aura on stage. He noticed you right away and almost forgot where he was. He wanted to just leave the second you started embarrassing him. It's a good thing the lights went off. You laughed as you watched him rush to Minhyuk, probably telling the boy about how he almost glared at you in front of everyone. Yes! You laughed to yourself and clapped as the hosts came back on the stage. Though you were feeling pretty happy with yourself, Ms. Min was lightly shaking her head. At least she was supporting Yoongi now. The excitement of the competition started to augment as all the groups eventually came back onto the stage. Five groups will be eliminated while eleven will advance to the third round.

Ms. Min was beginning to feel the tension in the air. A long commercial break had passed so now the two of you wanted to hear the results already. Mom texted you that she voted for BTS and stole your Dad's phone to do the same. Obviously, she got rid of the proof that she voted on his phone. Not like Dad would figure it out anyway though. You voted during the break and so did Ms. Min. She even called her husband, telling Myunghan to get on a computer, tablet, or anything and to vote for BTS. She stayed on the phone with him until he did as she said. She was so pleased with herself once she got that second vote. She bounced with you as the hosts listed off the first winner of the second round. As you predicted, the last group couldn't keep their first rank.

"Second rank..." The female host smiled into the camera. Ms. Min and you were holding hands tightly. On stage, the members of BTS were doing the same. The boys of D-Crunch were all hugging each other just in case. "...BTS!"

"YES!!" You jumped into the air. Covering your mouth, you felt your heart beating rapidly. It wanted to burst out from your chest. Not only did the boys pass the second round, but they jumped five ranks. They're in second now! Ms. Min was crying in disbelief now as she waved her new banner in the air. Namjoon let out a heavy sigh as he pulled all the members together. The little zoo was screaming as the rest of their hyungs brought them into a tight group hug.

"Min Yoongi!! He's my son!!" Ms. Min raised her voice loudly. You giggled, surprised by her behavior once again. During the hug, Yoongi poked his head out in confusion at the familiar voice. He stepped away from the hug to search the crowd. He saw you and his eyes quickly landed on his mother. His eyes widened in shock. Yoongi's mouth was gaping open as the male host handed him a trophy.

"Third rank...D-Crunch!" The female host cheered. Right away, the D-Crunch members were cheering and relieved. They were hugging each other before receiving their trophy. Though you supported all groups, you needed to start heading backstage. You grabbed Ms. Min's hand and told her to follow you. This was important. She nodded her head, doing her best to keep up with you as you dragged her through the crowd. With a little convincing to staff, you brought Ms. Min to the tent area. She was extremely confused when you brought her to BTS's tent. She just thought it was a random place you were bringing her too. She had a lot of questions which was fair, but you refused to answer them.

It didn't make sense to her until she heard male voices coming to the tent. She furrowed her brows at how loud they were. Excited and hollering about their win. The owners of the voices finally opened the cloth door. They smiled at you warmly until their eyes landed on Ms. Min. They became quiet, but Yoongi stepped forward with the trophy in his hands. Ms. Min walked up to him with a smile on her face. Yoongi almost didn't know what to think until she hugged him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, muttering that he's doing it. He's accomplishing his dreams. The rest of the members soon cheered and joined the hug, smothering the mother and son in the center.

"Group hug!!" Hoseok laughed.

"Hey! Get out! This is private!" Yoongi huffed.

"I'm being hugged by celebrities!" Ms. Min cutely giggled. Yoongi look down at his mom, softly shaking his head. He wasn't going to fight her on what she said. It did end up boosting the little egos on the children though.

"I'm famous, Hyung! Did you hear that?" Taehyung grinned at Namjoon.

"To a degree." Namjoon booped Taehyung's nose. The little puppy was happily wagging his tail meanwhile the bunny rushed to Seokjin.

"Do you think Eomma will ever get to see us?" Jungkook went on his toes. He stared up with a hopeful gaze at his uncle.

"I'm sure she will. Maybe not live, but I am slowly telling her about the contest..." Seokjin chuckled awkwardly.

"I already told her though."

"You WHAT!?" Seokjin screeched. He looked pale at the thought of his older sister already knowing. Jungkook only laughed, pointing out the fact that his mom wasn't just going to ignore the dyed hair and new piercings forever.

"You did so well, Baby!" Ms. Min cupped her son's cheeks. "Y-You were rapping and it was...just seeing you on the stage filled my heart with love. I'm so sorry..."

"So you're finally okay with it?" Yoongi asked, placing his own hand on hers.

"I'm okay with it. I'm still worried, but I know better now." She smiled. "I don't want to fight with you anymore."

"Me neither, Eomma." Yoongi sighed happily. Ms. Min looked around at the rest of the members. Though she was happy, she calmed down her attitude as she stared at the others. Hoseok and Jimin stopped messing around. Ms. Min could sometimes be intimidating without really trying.

"Thank you for coming and supporting BTS." Namjoon walked up to Ms. Min. He took her hand as he bowed.

"It's no problem at all, son." Ms. Min nodded her head. Namjoon grinned to be called so affectionately. He looked over at Yoongi who was hiding a pout poorly.

"Looks like we're brothers." Namjoon nudged the delinquent.

"Watch yourself, President." Yoongi scoffed.

"Wait! What am I?" Hoseok bounced in front of Ms. Min. She smiled softly as she called him son too. Hoseok clapped his hands, rushing to hug Namjoon and Yoongi. "We're one big family!"

"Get off me!" Yoongi whined. Despite resisting with his words, he let the hug happen. Namjoon helped Hoseok in squishing the smaller male. Yoongi only pursed his lips as he was getting suffocated between the two who were cheering 'family'. That's when the little zoo ran over to Ms. Min in excitement. They wanted to fix the first impression they left on her. They're not violent wild animals who beat up people two grades above them all the time. That was just a onetime thing for them. Hopefully. Jimin was in the center of them as he made them all bow to her with him.

"We're not bullies. We promise." Taehyung frowned.

"Those were my old bullies!" Jungkook stated. "We wanted to protect a friend who was getting hurt by them."

"Yeah! And then...we went overboard." Jimin nervously fidgeted with his fingers.

"As long as you boys don't go fighting again. I doubt your mothers would be happy to find you doing something like that." Ms. Min crossed her arms. Jimin and Jungkook bowed, promising that they'd behave. Taehyung was the only one who stayed stiff at the mention of his mother. He stared down at the ground silently, growing gloomy as the others all bounced around. "Oh! (F/n) told me about Seokjin."

"Hm? Me?" Seokjin pointed to himself in shock. The three rappers stopped being loud to listen in. What were you doing talking about Seokjin to Yoongi's mom? They gave you judging looks but you ignored them. Wait until they hear what Ms. Min has to say! You're innocent!

"You're so handsome!" Ms. Min chuckled. "I have to say you're my favorite then. You're very charming on stage."

"Wait, hold the f*ck up—"

"Language." Ms. Min interrupted Yoongi without missing a beat.

"Hold up!" Yoongi growled. "I'm supposed to be your favorite! I'm your son!"

"I do seem to be a fan favorite." Seokjin blew a kiss to Ms. Min. She squealed and Yoongi looked ready to kill a teacher. Hoseok and Namjoon held the redhead back from doing something stupid.

"We just have to suck it up, Yoongi," Hoseok admitted.

"Sucks to be you guys." Namjoon snickered.

"You're lucky you're my friend!" Yoongi hissed.

"I was actually thinking! Since tomorrow is Sunday, why don't you boys come over for a barbeque my husband is having? We'd love to have Yoongi's little group over and get to know you all." Ms. Min clapped her hands together. Yoongi turned pale at the thought of having all his friends over. Namjoon and Hoseok looked at each other with excitement. Yoongi could shake his head all he wants, his mother was already making plans. The little zoo were loving the idea of free food. The only one not so pleased besides Yoongi was Seokjin.

"I'm sure we can all come over!" You smiled. Seokjin was sweating, swallowing hard. "If you and Principal Yoo want us over then we'll gladly come!"

"Lovely!" Ms. Min perked up as Seokjin stressed out about having to visit his boss's home tomorrow. You walked over to him, patting his shoulders. He'll be fine.


	54. Strange Feeling

Ch.54

Mom has always had your back. Once you told her about the barbeque happening at Yoongi's house, she offered to drive you. She was going to keep your location secret and lied to Dad. You told Mom first about the barbeque. You were planning to tell Dad after, but Mom wouldn't let you for some reason. She was really adamant about you not saying a thing to him. All she said was that she was going to take care of things with your father. Being curious with your mysterious mother, you followed her as she entered the home office Dad has. Dad was just checking through his emails when Mom came inside, casual as ever.

It felt like you were watching her steal a prized jewel in front of Dad and he thought nothing of it. Mom started talking to Dad before bringing up that the two of you were going to have a girl's day tomorrow. Just for you two ladies and that he's not allowed to interrupt whatsoever. Dad was pouty, but he thought it would be good for the both of you. Just as Mom was getting ready to leave his office, Dad admitted that he was getting worried for you. It felt like you were always hanging out with your friends that he's never met. It was starting to make him curious and worried. Why hasn't he met them yet? Mom only shrugged, telling him that you were fine.

"Well, I'm just glad she's not hanging out with them today then. If she were then I would finally like to meet them on my day off work!" Dad tried to act stern.

"Don't embarrass her." Mom shook her head. Dad blushed right away, turning into an obedient puddle for mother.

"You're right. Sorry, Noona." Dad chuckled bashfully.

"So cute." Mom giggled. "Bye, love you!" She turned around as she left his office. Right away, she found you hiding in the hallway. How did she know you were there so quickly? Mom smirked, letting you know that your secret was safe with her. D*mn. She really did protect you right there. The thought of Dad dropping you off at Yoongi's house terrified you. The only other female there would be Ms. Min!

The next day, Mom made it clear to Dad that he was not allowed to interrupt or else he would be sleeping outside. That was just an empty threat, but he took it very seriously. Dad promised he would let you ladies have fun without him bothering you guys. Mom and you dressed fairly nice for today. She wasn't going to be attending the barbeque with you though. After she drops you off, she's going to take that spa day for herself. Once you found out that she was going to do that, you whined on why she couldn't take you on another day. Then Mom being Mom told you that keeping your secret has been a lot on her shoulders and you know d*mn well that it was the least of her problems.

Dad excitedly waved at you guys. He was more excited than you and Mom. He soon closed the front door to give you guys privacy. Mom and you sat in her car quietly. As she put in the address on her phone, you heard her humming a familiar tune. You smiled instantly to know that she truly watched the competition on TV. You began to hum I Need You with her and she looked up in surprise. She hadn't realized she had been humming it in the first place. She quickly laughed as she attached the phone to her car. You being you, you weren't going to let this go unnoticed. Mom put on her seatbelt and you put your own on with a huge grin.

"What is it?" She sighed as she reversed out of the driveway.

"So you do like BTS?" You bounced in your seat. Mom put the car in drive, slowly leaving your street.

"I think your friends are very talented. Do the ones in your year catch your eye at all?" She smirked. You rolled your eyes right away. Of course, Mom would bring the conversation here. It happens every single time. "I'm just asking because once the boys win the contest, you have to kiss one!"

"Kiss!? Eomma! You're crazy!" You felt your skin grow hot.

"Not crazy at all. I'm sure those three rappers are already making bets on who's going to get that kiss." Mom laughed. "Or you could kiss al—"

"Don't finish that." You groaned. "I'm not doing that."

"What a shame." Mom put on her turn signal, slowing down as she arrived at a crosswalk. "There was one member who caught my attention though."

"Really? Who?" You asked, wondering if you'll regret asking.

"The one with purple hair. He's very pleasing to the eye." Mom smiled at the thought. You almost choked on air. Why is it that all the moms are interested in Seokjin!?

"Seokjin?" You were shocked. At the same time, you could understand. Mom looked at you with a tiny smirk.

"Maybe you should kiss him when they win." She laughed.

"Eomma, he's over twenty years old!" You freaked out.

"When I was yo—"

"Eomma!" You were ready to jump out of the car. As soon as you tried opening the passenger door, she locked it. With the child lock too. How dare she? Mom made you listen to the time she almost seduced her literature teacher. You stayed quiet at the plain irony. She was mainly flirting to get a better grade and then left him alone once she passed. Apparently, Mom keeps getting a friend request on facebook from her old teacher though and is considering blocking him. She should.

Mom's stories will always be strange. She never holds anything back and expects you to do the same as she has done. She knows you wouldn't but if you were to suddenly seduce your math teacher, she would be proud. That's the worst part. That's not going to be happening unfortunately for her. She doesn't need to know Seokjin is actually your math teacher or else she's going to start creating scenarios on how to get it done. Right now you're fine with being single. You just want to focus on winning the competition with BTS. After that then...maybe you can think about that kind of stuff. You looked down at your lap, smiling at the thought of a certain face.

It felt strange. Though you considered all three of the rappers your best friends, hugging one of them made you happier. It was just that one. You looked out the window, trying to shove those thoughts out of your head. You didn't want to distract any of the boys from the competition. Most importantly, you didn't want to cause any jealously. You'd have to be blind to not notice how they all openly flirt with you at this point. Sometimes it feels like they're joking around and other times...it's too serious. It's doing a lot to confuse your emotions. Everything's a mess and that's another reason on why you're going to wait for this contest to end. Then there's also the fact that you think Hyunho might like you back.

"Hey Eomma...how do you know when a boy likes you back?" You mumbled.

"How do you know?" She glanced at you. Mom took in a deep breath, not trying to make a joke. She saw how you were fidgeting with the bottom of your dress that she bought you. "Well, in the way he looks at you. With how much he trusts you. I think though...when they do things to make you happy and most likely won't get anything in return. When they're selfless like that, I believe that's when you know it's genuine."

"Did Appa do something like that?" You asked.

"I had a thing for his college roommate." Mom rolled her eyes at the start of the memory. "I went to go see his roommate, but he was busy with another girl." Mom sighed. "Your Appa was studying but opened the door since no one else was getting it. That douchebag apparently had your Appa handle all his dirty work, but it usually ended with your Appa getting spit on by random sluts." Mom's grip on the wheel tightened. "He opened the door and told me the thing his roommate had him memorize. Basically, I was all used up and that's all he needed from me. I was so upset that I left while your Appa kept calling me to come back. I ignored him since I just needed to go home in that moment. Even if I had to stand and wait in the pouring rain just to get a ride. Then your Appa came rushing out with an umbrella and asked if I had any money to go back home which...I didn't. He gave me his bus pass and admitted his roommate was a little mean."

"A little mean?" You scoffed.

"I know, your Appa is too good for this world." Mom smiled. "I thought he wanted to sleep with me and use me too since I was so hurt. I barely knew him at the time and would only really see him when I went to mess around with his roommate. I was certain that b*stard let your Appa have his sloppy seconds, but your Appa began to walk back to his place in the rain. He gave me his umbrella and told me to get home safely. I was like, 'what the hell? That's it?' and couldn't believe it!" Mom giggled, feeling fired up. "I kept following him after that with determination and made him my husband!! That's how you do it, (F/n)! Grab them and don't let them go!!"

"Haha, okay. Noted." You grinned. Mom began humming I Need You again as the car turned onto Yoongi's street. "And Eomma, how do you know when you like them back? Maybe more than...like?"

"Well Sweetie, we're going to need a longer car ride for that talk." She giggled as she slowed down the car. She parked in front of the Min household, turning off the car. You sighed with a lot of unanswered questions. At least you can sort of figure something out with the little advice she did give you. Mom walked you up to the front door since she figured she might as well get to know Yoongi's mom. She knocked on the door while you slowly swayed your body to watch your dress move. It was in your favorite color too. That's when the door opened to reveal Ms. Min, smiling at the both of you. You could see Yoongi in the house with a nice outfit on. He smiled, wanting to walk over but hesitating at the sight of your Mom. "Hello, I'm (F/n)'s Eomma."

"I'm Yoongi's Eomma. It's so nice to finally meet you." Ms. Min bowed after you and your Mom did. "Right now my husband is getting the barbeque grill started and we only have two other guests here."

"Who's here?" You took a peek inside.

"Just Hoseok and Jimin. They arrived together." Ms. Min turned around, quickly motioning the people inside to come out. "Come on! Yoongi-ya!"

"Yeah, I'm coming." Yoongi sighed as he walked up to the door. He smiled lightly, bowing to your Mom. He was clearly awkward and Mom found it amusing. Yoongi slowly looked at you with a gummy grin. "You can come inside if you want already. The dancers want to play twister."

"You fell over, Hyung!" Jimin whined.

"No, I didn't!" Hoseok denied it.

"Oh! You broke—" Jimin started.

"NO."

"You pulled a Namjoon!" Jimin giggled. Yoongi automatically looked horrified. He turned around, rushing inside to find the dancers.

"Hoseok, what the hell did you break!?" Yoongi shouted. You blinked to yourself as you processed everything that you had just heard. Pulled a Namjoon? You wanted to pinch the bridge of your nose. Jimin really just used Namjoon as a verb for breaking something unintentionally. Ms. Min let Yoongi worry about it. She kept talking to your Mom about stuff while you heard footsteps. Looking over your shoulder, you gasped in delight to see Taehyung and Namjoon. They made it! Both brothers were dressed nicely and they walked all the way over here holding hands. At this point, you wanted to cry at the sight. It was so precious. You ran over to them, enjoying how thrilled Taehyung was. He gave you a huge smile and let go of Namjoon's hand just to hug you.

"My little puppy!" You hugged him. Taehyung giggled, bouncing with your arms wrapped around him.

"Hi Noona!" Taehyung's box like smile would always steal your heart. He pulled away, quickly taking Namjoon's hand again. His older brother only sighed in defeat, not having the heart to protest.

"Glad you guys could make it! It seems like chaos is already occurring with our two dancers inside Yoongi's house." You laughed. Taehyung grinned, growing more excited to know Jimin was already here. Namjoon just let his arm fling around with any way Taehyung moved it.

"Watch Ms. Min not invite us to her house anymore." Namjoon looked away from Taehyung to give you a dimpled smile. He took in a breath as he stared at you in your new dress. Being under his gaze like that, you blushed and felt yourself get a little shy. "You look really pretty in that dress."

"Oh yeah, Noona! Like Hyung said, you look really pretty in that dress!" Taehyung repeatedly happily. He was a lot louder than his brother though. You instinctively glanced back at your mother. She was listening in. The second you made eye contact with her, she raised her brows suggestively. Nope. You returned your gaze back to Namjoon and Taehyung.

"Thank you! The both of you are very sweet!" You hugged them both.

During the hug, you could tell Namjoon wanted Taehyung to get lost. The little puppy refused, fighting to stay in the hug. You rolled your eyes before pulling away with a friendly smile. Namjoon began pushing Taehyung in the direction of the front door. He was trying so hard to silently tell his little brother to give him alone time with you. It made you want to laugh, especially with how confused Taehyung looked. The puppy couldn't take a hint for the life of him. He wanted to spend more time with the two of you. Before Taehyung could say anything, a car honked. All three of you were surprised to see a car that had parked across the street. In the driver's seat was Seokjin doing his hardest to keep Jungkook away from the horn.

It was really funny. The windows were closed, but you could almost hear how loud Seokjin was screaming at Jungkook to stop. The bunny was a troublemaker, happily messing around with his uncle's car. Seokjin did his best to shove Jungkook in the passenger's seat before giving up. He opened his car door and began to drag Jungkook out from his side. Taehyung was laughing as Jungkook squealed to be let go. Seokjin picked up the preteen, carrying him across the street before setting him down in front of Yoongi's house. That was quite the entrance. Seokjin sighed heavily as he fixed Jungkook's clothing and patted his shoulder.

"Alright, now go have fun with your friends." Seokjin crossed his arms.

"One day, I'm going to be strong enough to pick you up!" Jungkook shouted.

"I'd like to see you try." Seokjin chuckled.

"I will! And once I pick you up, I'm throwing you into the sun!" Jungkook cheered. "Come on, Tae! Let's go!"

"Jimin is inside!" Taehyung ran with Jungkook. Namjoon and you looked at the elder member with amused expressions. Seokjin was dressed formally as well, but already looked exhausted.

"Did you hear that? I'm getting tossed into the sun." Seokjin let out a dry chuckle.

"Don't worry, I got something similar from Tae once." Namjoon patted his teacher. "Except Taehyung threatened that he would lock me in the washing machine."

"What do you guys do to make them say things like that?" You laughed. Seokjin and Namjoon only shook their heads. Soon Seokjin just shoved his hands in his pockets, preparing to enter the home of his boss. He walked up to the door and bowed to Ms. Min and your Mom. You did your best not to scream when your Mom basically encouraged Ms. Min to fangirl with her over Seokjin. The two of them asking how come he wasn't a model already and if he was dating anyone jokingly. Seokjin was flushed but remained calm. Eventually Namjoon and you just walked inside to catch up with the others. They were no longer inside the living room, but outside in the backyard.

By then your Mom said goodbye to Ms. Min. Those two seemed to get along well though. You could have sworn that you overheard them exchanging numbers. Stepping outside, you immediately saw all the boys running around. The little zoo were playing tag in Yoongi's backyard, screaming at the top of their lungs. Hoseok and Yoongi were watching Myunghan struggle to turn on his barbeque grill. He was trying his best while those two judged from the side. Namjoon walked over to them while you noticed Seokjin next to the door. He had barely taken five steps into Yoongi's backyard. His eyes were glued onto his boss nervously.

While you stood next to him for moral support and to judge others, Ms. Min stepped out with uncooked meat on a large plate. She walked up to Myunghan with a smile until she noticed that the barbeque wasn't on. She clicked her tongue, asking what was wrong with the grill when it worked last time. Myunghan looked extremely confused as he played around with knobs at this point. Yoongi commented that that's not how it worked. That quickly earned him a question from Hoseok: You know how to use a barbeque grill? Yoongi scoffed and answered no. Namjoon shook his head, telling the boy to just stay quiet or else he'll get grounded.

"I-I think I can help." Seokjin raised his hand, slowly walking over. You were surprised he was letting himself be known. You were sure that he was going to wait for Myunghan to notice him last second. The others seemed just as shocked. Myunghan looked up from the grill, his eyes widening at the sight of Seokjin.

"Seokjin, what are you doing here?" Myunghan furrowed his brows. Ms. Min stared at them in confusion, wondering how the two knew each other already.

"I invited him!" Yoongi shouted. Myunghan and Seokjin looked over at the redhead who was pursing his lips. "I wanted to invite my favorite teacher over." Yoongi glanced at his mother, his eyes telling her not to say anything. Ms. Min was good at hiding her emotions. She stayed calm and only walked over to you near the doors to her home.

"Seokjin is a high school teacher?" She asked.

"Our math teacher, yes." You nodded.

"God d*mn it, Yoongi." She closed her eyes before laughing and going inside. Not only is Yoongi not focusing on his studies as much with a bunch of his friends, he has a teacher doing the same thing alongside him.

"Uh...okay, Seokjin." Myunghan awkwardly stepped aside to let Seokjin help him out. The principal coughed, looking at Yoongi. The delinquent quickly muttered for the man not to get jealous. You didn't know what that was about, but Seokjin got the grill to work. Myunghan sighed and let Seokjin stay to help him cook. Especially after Hoseok began to talk about just how good of a cook Seokjin was. The principal wanted to see it for himself.

Seokjin did his best to not let it get too awkward. If Myunghan ever does watch the contest then he's going to quickly find out why Yoongi and Seokjin are truly close. You're not quite sure how he'll react if he ever finds out. Yoongi only muttered for you not to worry about it. He doubts Myunghan will ever watch the competition in the first place. You couldn't be so sure though. He thought the same thing for his mother. Next thing he knows, she watched him live and is now supportive. It took a lot of convincing and even a push, but Ms. Min is finally okay with it. She's still worried at times and that's normal. Myunghan allows it too despite preferring Yoongi to be more focused on school and such.

In the middle of your conversation with the rappers, the little zoo randomly came up to you guys. You thought they had a question to ask at first. They quickly latched onto Hoseok, dragging him over to play with them. Hoseok laughed and didn't mind at all. You smiled to yourself as you thought about Hoseok's situation. Though he's had a fairly tough life, he's still very positive. Not to mention his mother is very supportive of his dancing and dreams. It felt like Ms. Jung would never allow Hoseok to give up. She would force him to keep pushing no matter what. She was very persistent and motivational like that. Someone you'll like instantly for how strongly their personality radiates.

Namjoon reminded Taehyung to play gentle. The blonde watched the kids playing with Hoseok, a little sigh leaving through his nose. You glanced up at him warmly. Namjoon and Taehyung are extremely close due to the fact that they basically only have each other. You've never had the pleasure of meeting their parents. It made you wonder if they truly knew the extent of Namjoon's hobbies. Would they be as accepting as Ms. Jung or hesitant like Ms. Min and Myunghan? You moved your eyes back to watch Taehyung jump on Hoseok's back. Right away, Jungkook and Jimin crashed into their hyung. All three of them took him down to the ground.

"Dance leader, are you okay?" Jungkook laughed.

"What'd I say about being gentle?" Namjoon huffed.

"I was trying to be!" Taehyung defended himself. He patted Hoseok's cheek, smiling. "Better get up soon, Hyung. We need our main dancer for our next song."

"I've already been practicing!" Jimin grinned before bringing his two fingers and tapping them down on his left arm. "DNA~!"

"Ooh, we should practice here!" Taehyung grinned.

"We can't though!" Jungkook shook his head.

"And why not?" Jimin frowned. Hoseok tapped the baby chick's shoulder quietly. He subtly pointed over at Seokjin and Myunghan at the grill. Jimin and Taehyung's mouths both turned into 'o's at the realization. Seokjin was involved in the choreography. If their teacher knew how to dance the choreography with the group then that would give Myunghan a lot of questions to ask.

"We'll start practice tomorrow. We also have the rest of the week to do the same before tech rehearsal on Friday." Hoseok ruffled Jimin's hair. "And guess what? This Friday is a holiday so we get school off anyway. No need to call sick at all for us!"

"Really!?"

The three preteens began to pile on Hoseok out of excitement. Hoseok shouted as they all rolled on the ground. By then you had to walk over to stop them. They were going to get their nice clothes all dirty! As soon as you rushed over to scold them, Jimin complained that you reminded him of his mom. You rolled your eyes at him. You bet his mom would be glad that you stopped him before he put a bunch grass stains in his good clothes. Lifting up Jungkook, you patted him down and checked him over. He only had a small dirt smudge on his cheek. With a sneaky grin, you used your finger to clean it off with your salvia. There. How's that for a mother? Jungkook whined that you were being gross. He laughed and pushed away your hand. That was gross? You're positive these thirteen year old boys have done or seen worse than use spit to clean themselves.

Patting Jungkook's shoulder, you moved him along in the direction of the table. Ms. Min was stepping outside with plates of fruits in her hands. Jimin avoided you in order not to get 'cooties' from you. These kids sometimes enjoyed acting incredibly childish. Hoseok got up and thanked you for saving him. He grinned as he rushed to help Ms. Min out. That's good. Yoongi was going to help, but Hoseok beat him to it. You were ready to see a competition of who could be more helpful. Right away, Ms. Min asked Hoseok to help her get the rest. Yoongi shouted that he would go and dragged Namjoon along with him for moral support. Hoseok only smiled, thinking the more the merrier.

Chuckling to yourself, you slowly look away from everybody to see a sad puppy. He hadn't rushed off to eat fruit with his friends. He stayed standing alone with a blank expression. Though he wasn't pouting or frowning, you could feel it. He refused to move an inch or look up from the ground. The puppy didn't say anything as you walked up to him. What was wrong? As you inspected Taehyung, you saw that his white dress shirt had a small grass stain. Was he upset about that? Maybe he thought you would be mad at him for ruining his clothes or Namjoon would be the one upset. You leaned down slightly since Taehyung was dropping his head lower. It was harder to see his face with his blue bangs in the way. Grabbing his face carefully, you raised his head to look up at you.

A tear.

Pushing the blue bangs away from Taehyung's face, you immediately wiped away the tears that were leaving him. The puppy silently whimpered as you tugged him over to the corner of Yoongi's backyard. The puppy shook his head, refusing to speak when you asked him what was wrong. His sobs were growing a bit louder, but he still attempted to keep them quiet. It broke your heart to see him all of sudden like this. He was so happy to be here with his friends. You couldn't understand what went wrong in a couple seconds. Though it wouldn't work, you tried to clean the grass stain with your spit. Taehyung didn't complain about it being gross, but his tears began to slow down.

"You'll have to get this washed, Tae...I'm so sorry." You cupped his face again. The puppy sniffled and kept his mouth shut. He wouldn't open up to you and right away you knew there was only one person who would understand. Looking over your shoulder, you watched Ms. Min come out with salad while the rest of the rappers helped her out with setting up a foldable table. Hoseok and Yoongi took care of it while Namjoon only watched. His eyes moved to Jimin and Jungkook who were already eating. He noticed Taehyung wasn't there and quickly saw you with a worried expression. Namjoon ran over in an instant without you having to motion him over. Taking a step away from Taehyung, you let Namjoon run his hands through the puppy's hair.

"Taehyung, why are you crying?" Namjoon asked softly.

"H-Hyung..." Taehyung began to sob again. Namjoon automatically picked up his brother, not caring if the boy wasn't light anymore. He was going to take care of his younger brother. You followed them into the house, directing them to a bathroom. Namjoon set the puppy down on the counter and gave the boy toilet paper to clean his face.

"Tae, can you tell me what's wrong?" Namjoon questioned again.

"I m-miss Eomma and A-Appa..." Taehyung stammered, ripping the paper in his hands instead of wiping his face.

"They said that they'll come at the end of the month. Taehyung—" Namjoon tried to comfort the boy. The puppy didn't want to be touched, not accepting a hug from his own brother.

"That's what they always say!" Taehyung angrily threw the paper on the ground. "I-I basically haven't seen them in thirteen years!"

"Don't exaggerate." Namjoon sighed. He pursed his lips, a bit unsure on how to calm the puppy down. You took a step back from the scene. It felt like you were interrupting an extremely personal event for the boys. You knew nothing of what they were going through. Once you moved, Taehyung looked at you with teary eyes. He slowly raised his hand to reach out towards you. Namjoon silently watched as you took the boy's hand. Though you didn't want to overstep your bounds, you still wanted to comfort Taehyung. Even if he just needed to hold a hand.

"Noona..." Taehyung wiped his hand on his face. You smiled softly, cleaning off most of his tears for him. "Don't leave."

"Tae, do you miss your parents that much?" You felt your heart continue to break, but you did your best to smile for the puppy. He nodded softly as you hugged him. He sighed and let you hug him to your surprise. "I may not be your Eomma or Appa, but I hope this hug can still cheer you up."

"Your hugs are still very nice, Noona..." Taehyung cuddled into you.

"We'd all love to have you enjoying the food and hanging out with us. We understand though if you need some time—" You stroked his hair.

"I want to have fun too." Taehyung chuckled softly, his tears completely gone. He was still a little gloomy but ready to move on a bit. He clearly didn't want to ruin the barbeque. That's how he saw it. He looked guilty and ashamed, so you gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. The puppy looked up in surprise and smiled. "Thank you, Noona!"

"I adore your smile, my precious puppy." You tickled his stomach. Taehyung giggled and squirmed on the counter. One thing you noticed was that Taehyung loved being babied the most out of the younger boys. Jungkook liked being treated as if he were older and Jimin liked compliments about his skills and things he had control over. Then your little Taehyung was almost like your baby.

"I love you, Noona! I hope you marry my Hyung!" Taehyung grabbed your hands. Your laughter died down at his little wish. Slowly, you looked over your shoulder to see Namjoon staring at you with a soft smile. The look in his eyes almost overwhelmed you with how much adoration was in them. Feeling warm, you looked back at Taehyung. It must be for his little brother that he cares for so much.

"I love you too, Tae. Ready to go out?" You smiled. Taehyung jumped off the counter as Namjoon walked up to him.

"Don't you want a forehead kiss from your favorite hyung too?" Namjoon teased.

"I think I prefer Noona's kisses." Taehyung shook his head, snuggling into your side. Namjoon scoffed and pulled the boy over to him. Taehyung squealed as Namjoon gave him a little kiss. The two were happily laughing and your heart became soft. You're glad Taehyung is doing well again. Namjoon hit the boy's butt, making Taehyung run outside back to his friends. You giggled as Namjoon stepped out of the bathroom with you.

"Thank you, (F/n)." Namjoon stared at you gently. "You didn't have to stay and help me cheer him up...especially with that sensitive topic..." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's nothing at all, Joonie. I'm just glad we can all spend time together." You grinned as Namjoon took a step closer to you. It took you by surprise and you instantly bumped into a wall. Namjoon raised his hand slowly before letting it land your head. He chuckled to himself as he nudged his head towards the backyard. You smiled shyly, already smelling the sizzling meat off the grill. Namjoon put his hand on your back as you two stepped out together. All the boys were seated at the table with their plates and getting ready to dig in as Ms. Min set down a plate of hot meat.

The mood was lot brighter now that the food was coming out. Taehyung sat with his friends, happily getting fed watermelon by Jimin. You took a seat next to Hoseok near the edge of the bench. Namjoon sat down between Hoseok and Yoongi. Next to Yoongi was Ms. Min while the preteens all sat across from you guys. Seokjin was still standing with Myunghan. Those two had grown more comfortable with each other. While they were cooking, Myunghan offered Seokjin a beer. The teacher said no since he was Jungkook's ride back home, but all you see now was the two adult males laughing with beer cans in their hands. Yoongi was almost disturbed with how close they were getting.

"I don't like it. He was my friend first." Yoongi stuffed a grape in his mouth.

"You've never changed, Baby." Ms. Min laughed to herself. Yoongi huffed and silently ate his food.

The barbeque idea wasn't so bad after all. Yoongi originally hated the idea of having all his friends over. He didn't want you guys getting comfortable here in his shared home with Myunghan. By now, he was starting to care less. It wasn't long before Myunghan and Seokjin finished cooking all the meat. They sat down at the table next to the preteens. Once Myunghan sat down, he finally took the time to get to know the others at the table. Besides Seokjin and Yoongi's friends, he wanted to know more about the little zoo. How in the world did Yoongi befriend them and why does one of them refer to Yoongi as Hyung-nim? It wasn't too hard to explain how Taehyung's relation with Namjoon was how it all started. Then Yoongi just helped out Jungkook and the maknae really admired him from then on.

Seokjin then just had to add that Jungkook is his nephew. The maknae shook his head, drinking his water and looking the other way. He didn't understand why his uncle had to make it sound like he was bragging. Seokjin seemed really proud of himself and wrapped his arm around the bunny. It was cute how the bunny twitched his nose in frustration but leaned against his uncle anyway. Myunghan figured that's why Seokjin and Yoongi got to be this close. The young ones were a little awkward around the principal, but eventually got over it and didn't care. They quickly grew loud over time.

Soon the food was all finished with only a little bit of fruit left in bowls. All of them spoke with each other while you cleaned up your area. Ms. Min did the same, taking the plates from everyone at the table. You knew right away she would need help bringing all the dishes back inside the house. There's too many for just one person. Ms. Min smiled at you the second she saw you gathering the other plates and cups. Following her into the kitchen, you carefully set them down near the sink. Though Ms. Min told you that you didn't need to, you wanted to thank her in actions. Might as well help her wash dishes to show your gratitude. Ms. Min dried the dishes as you washed them one by one. It wasn't until you were half way that she began speaking to you.

"Thank you—" She started.

"I told you, it's no big deal." You shook your head.

"No, not about the dishes...about my son." Ms. Min set down a plate. You paused with your sponge before slowly continuing. "I did my best to be there for him when he was younger. I feel like it's my fault that he's not very affectionate and hides his emotions. I'm the same way, but I'm trying to change that...just recently though."

"Yoongi is a great person and friend. You can believe me when I say all your struggles to raise him weren't in vain." You smiled at her. Ms. Min only sighed heavily as she picked up a new dish to dry.

"I think the scariest thing about being a parent is that everything you do affects them. Positive or negative. Negative is what I was doing when I was denying him of his dreams." Ms. Min frowned. "I was just scared..."

"That he wouldn't make it?" You asked.

"That was a fear, but at the same time...he never mentioned it to me until I found lyrics in his room. I was cleaning when I found them and they were so...dark. I was scared that he wanted to hurt himself, but he told me that those were old." Ms. Min took in a deep breath as she looked back on the memory. "I didn't understand why he still had those if he didn't feel the same. He insisted he was better, but...at the time I felt like I didn't know him anymore. I couldn't tell if it was true or not. I was selfish and frightened when I ripped his lyrics, telling him not to do music..."

"Ms. Min, I think you're a very caring mother. Even if you don't go about it the right way or if your intention isn't clear. You're only human so you shouldn't beat yourself up over it," You stated the truth. It's what you felt needed to be said. Though you were no mother, you think your words were cheering her up. "Yoongi isn't in a dark place as much as he used to be. When he writes lyrics nowadays, they're a lot more motivational and he always writes about his experiences and what's going on in his life. He's doing much better and he's happy that you're supportive. If you're willing to change, I'm sure he won't hide things from you anymore and the two of you can become close. He's willing to change now too."

"...I think you'll become a great mother if you don't mind me saying." Ms. Min chuckled. For some reason, a huge smile appeared on your face. It was hard to make it go away. She really thought so? It felt like the best compliment ever. You bowed as you thanked her, handing her the last dish. She dried it and smiled at you with a sneaky look in her eyes. "Do you want to see baby photos of Yoongi?"

"Yes please!"

The two of you rushed over to the living room. All the males were sitting outside, conversing with one another. Yoongi was completely clueless to the pure gold you were about to witness. Ms. Min sat you down as she brought over a heavy photo album. She couldn't stop laughing as she brought it over. She commented how she always wanted to do this with one of his friends, but never got the chance. She opened it up and you could just see the love in her eyes. Ms. Min stared at the pictures for a couple seconds before turning it around. The first page was of her with Yoongi in the hospital. He was a small baby with a really wrinkled and red face. How adorable.

Once she showed you one photo, there was no end. Ms. Min showed you pictures of a tiny Yoongi in overalls. There was even one where he was happily dancing in just his diapers. Your heart was swelling at the cuteness. This was your favorite thing in the entire world. Cuteness will be your weakness forever. There were a lot of baby Yoongi photos showing how much of a messy eater he was. Food rubbed on his chubby cheeks and ones where he was smiling. His teeth were so small that his gummy smile was a lot more prominent then. Ms. Min loved the photos where he was sleeping most. She told you how even if her day was rough and Yoongi threw large fits, his calm sleeping form told her that she was doing just fine. She can continue on the next day.

"And then this one...oh!" Ms. Min smiled. "This one is very good! Yoongi-ya is three in the photo and he's taking a bath. Take a look!" Ms. Min turned the photo album, only to get it snatched up in the air. Behind her was Yoongi with his brows puckered in tightly, wrinkles on his forehead and his face bright pink with embarrassment. Ms. Min is right! He hasn't changed at all! You giggled while Yoongi closed it with a heavy sigh.

"You can't show her that photo!" Yoongi shook his head. "Or the others! She's seen enough!"

"Why? Is it because your—"

"Eomma!!" Yoongi didn't want to hear her say it. Ms. Min clicked her tongue, obviously disappointed that she didn't get to show you the bath photo. Though Yoongi insisted that showing you the photo didn't need to happen, Ms. Min believed you needed to see it. It was important! Her words.

"I'm trying to bond with your future girlfriend!" Ms. Min quietly hissed. Yoongi huffed through his nose, keeping the photo album away from her.

"Bond with her another way!" Yoongi ignored the growing smile on his mother's face. He didn't deny it. You raised your brow at the redhead who walked off to put away the photo album. Did they think you didn't hear them? Ms. Min happily got up from her seat, making her way outside. At that point you figured she intended to leave you two alone. Yoongi returned with the photo album gone and saw his mom no longer in her seat. He sighed again, slowly taking her seat and looking at you with narrowed eyes. "You forget everything you just saw, okay?"

"I don't think so." You refused.

"Cha (F/n)." Yoongi growled. "Why would you tell her you want to see those dumb photos?"

"Because it's cute," You answered. He rolled his eyes and leaned further back in his seat. Almost to say, 'of course that's your answer'. You giggled at how much it bugged him. In those photos, you could just see how much Ms. Min truly cared for Yoongi. She was going to make an effort to be there for him fully now. "Besides, your Eomma mentioned it to me first. I finished washing the dishes and you guys were busy doing whatever."

"...you helped her wash the dishes?" Yoongi raised a brow. No judgement in his words or expression. Innocent curiosity as he stared at you gently. You nodded with a smile.

"The food was really good and there were a lot of dishes. I couldn't let her do them all on her own," You said as he chuckled.

"No one forced you," Yoongi stated. "You're our guest. It makes us feel bad when we invited you. It's not like you owe us anything."

"Trust me, Min Yoongi. I gladly helped your Eomma today and I'll happily do it again another time." You lightly jabbed his chest. Yoongi remained silent, his eyes on your finger before they slowly traveled over to your face. You were going to chuckle until his eyes connected with yours. Something in them almost took your breath away. Silence came on both parts. After a few seconds, you awkwardly smiled and brought up your finger to smack up his nose. "Got'chu."

"Whatever, Baby girl." Yoongi grabbed your finger tightly before releasing it. He stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked away. Swallowing hard, you didn't know what to think. Today has been a little strange.

That's when your phone beeped and you jumped three feet into the air. Why were you so on edge? Taking out your phone, you fumbled with it in your hands. Your eyes slowly widened once you saw the amount of emails you had ignored. Oh no. They were all coming from the company. Soar Entertainment needed all the groups to fill out a schedule sheet of when they'll be able to film an interview before Wednesday. It'll be posted online to help promote the contest as well as the groups competing. How come you were just seeing these emails now? You opened the schedule up to see that all the other groups had taken the slots on the weekdays. The only open slot was literally today. D*mn it. Okay, calm down. It's not that big of a deal, you told yourself. Just breathe and tell the guys that all of you have new plans for today.

Rushing outside, you guys approximately had only one hour left before they hounded you guys. You quickly signed BTS up for the Sunday time slot at five. At least the boys were dressed nice and the grass stain on Taehyung's shirt isn't too noticeable. They would be fine. Namjoon noticed you right away, seeing you responding to emails as fast as you possibly could. The other members began to notice how frazzled you were too, quitting their chit chat to look at you. Namjoon got up from his seat and walked over to you. The leader wasn't sure if he should wait to ask or interrupt your email catch up. He glanced at your screen, reading that Soar Entertainment had sent you plenty of emails. He looked at the members and they all got up.

"S-Sorry. We have to make it to Soar Entertainment to film an interview for BTS. The only open time slot is in an hour so we should get going now." You frowned as they all came over to you. "I don't know why I'm seeing the emails now, but we have to go. I'm so sorry for making everyone leave like this."

"It's fine. Eomma and Myunghan will understand." Yoongi assured you. He turned to his mom, explaining the situation and how Seokjin would drive you guys over. She nodded as all of you bowed and thanked her and her husband for the food. They wished you guys the best of luck and all of you were off. Seokjin ran to his car with the rest of you jumping inside. Everyone knew how to pile in at this point. Crammed or not, you guys had a schedule to complete. Seokjin drove out of Yoongi's street, driving as fast as he legally could over to the company. There wasn't much said as the boys all tried to make themselves look presentable. Since Seokjin was driving, you touched up his hair a bit, but he was basically perfect.

No one relaxed until Seokjin made it to the security stop. They allowed the car to enter the company parking lot and everyone was ready to jump out of the car to just to run in. Seokjin parked the car as quick as he could, everyone running out. The sound of feet pounding echoed through the parking lot, but all of you slowed down near the entrance. None of you wanted to be sweating too much or too out of breath. The boys caught their breath, slowly making their way to the doors as casually as they could. They seemed fine except for one member. Hoseok was rubbing his knee, awkwardly limping his way to the entrance. You panicked right away in fear of him being injured. You rushed to his side as he suppressed a pained groan.

"Hoseok, what's wrong?" You frowned. He only shook his head, taking in a deep breath.

"Nothing—"

"Jung Hoseok." You glared at him. He sighed, knowing he couldn't be sly about this. The fox has learned his lesson about trying to keep secrets from you. He couldn't be sneaky no matter what.

"My knee is just really sore. It hurts to move it a bit, but I'm not injured." Hoseok patted your back. "I told you that I'm fine. My muscles just ache."

"How long has it been sore?" You asked as he tried walking away from you.

"Since the early morning. It's mainly my shoulders that are killing me all the time though. My knees from forcing them to run just now." Hoseok chuckled. "I must have really gone all out during I Need You." He found it funny while you didn't like the slight limp he had. It was clearly bothering him. You could never understand why Hoseok just wanted to push through his pain without getting help for it. Hoseok hurried to catch up with the members that stood near the receptionist desk. Namjoon spoke for the group before they got an assistant to come out for them. They bowed as they followed the assistant who would be taking them to the filming location. The boys motioned for you to follow them, but you told them that you had to go to the bathroom. They left you alone after that.

What you actually meant by that is that you're going to go get Hoseok some pain relief patches! Those should be easy to find! You told the receptionist you would be back. She wrote down your name just in case security called to check in with her. Rushing out of the company building, you walked out into the streets. There were a lot more company buildings than stores around. A heavy sigh left your body. This is just your job as manager to make sure your boys are taken care of and at their best. Along with making sure they follow their schedule. Thank goodness you saw the email in time! Running down the street, you kept looking around in hopes of seeing a store of some kind. You weren't too familiar with this side of town.

After a while, it felt like you had been running for fifteen minutes. Your lungs were burning and begging you to stop. Where is a d*mn store!? It was making you upset how you couldn't find a place to buy pain relief patches. It was the most simple thing in the world! You slowed down at a corner, panting heavily and looking around. Your eyes then landed on a pharmacy and you couldn't stop smiling. Perfect! You ran towards it, quickly finding the patches and paying for them. Now it was time to just get back! Though your legs were feeling like heavy stone, you pushed yourself to run all the way back. Ignoring the urge to let yourself walk back, you knew you had to be there before the interview ended.

Security let you in without problem. You were thankful for that as you made it back into the building. The receptionist told you where the boys would be. Thanking her, you first needed to clean yourself up in the bathroom and catch your breath. You were sweating in your pretty dress, but it's fine. Glancing at the clock, you were almost in disbelief to see over thirty minutes had passed. Was the pharmacy really that far away? The proof was in your burning calves. Well, you might as well get this to Hoseok as quick as you can. You didn't buy these for nothing after all. You carried the box close to your chest as you made your way to the filming room. Quietly stepping in, the boys were getting their makeup done. Only a few were camera ready. While the rest got their makeup done, the crew and staff were setting up lights and cameras. They had a white back drop for all the boys to stand in front of.

The only boys who had their makeup done were Namjoon, Jungkook, Seokjin, and Hoseok. One of the staff members was running through the questions with Namjoon. Seokjin was listening in and Jungkook wanted to be a part of the important business. Even if he wasn't fully listening, he wanted to look mature. Hoseok was sitting on a stool away from them, rubbing his sore shoulders. Hoseok looked up once he saw you walking over to him. He didn't think anything of it until he saw the box in your hands. He couldn't believe his eyes, staring at you to check if you were being serious. Hoseok shook his head at you when you opened it to take out a patch.

"Cha (F/n), you are something else." Hoseok scoffed. "I told you—"

"Shush." You stood behind him. Hoseok tensed up as you tugged down the collar of his shirt.

"Whoa! Hey! I can just put them on myself without stretching my shirt out." Hoseok jumped from his stool. He took the box from your hands and you didn't trust him.

"When will you put the patches on?" You questioned.

"After the interview," Hoseok stated and you grabbed his hand instantly. This boy must be on something if he thinks you're going to let that happen. The popular boy stumbled as you dragged him into a bathroom. He was a stuttering mess in front of you.

"Quick. Take off your shirt." You ordered. The boy's face flushed at your words. He bumped into a wall, continuously acting all over the place.

"(F-F/n), I don't think now is the time—" Hoseok tried talking and you rolled your eyes.

"Turn around! I'm putting your patches on!" You stomped your foot. Hoseok groaned as he carefully lifted his shirt off. He winced doing so and did his best not to ruin his makeup. While he faced the wall, you placed the patches on the areas that were bothering him most. You smiled when you noticed how hard he was trying to flex just so you could see his back muscles. He's really trying to impress you when he's sore? "Done."

"You're embarrassing, Cha (F/n)." Hoseok lowered his shirt, turning to face you. Shoving the box into his chest, you only laughed.

"You can put on more patches after the interview. Go crazy with them, but I needed them on your shoulders now." You crossed your arms. "We can't have our group's sunshine in pain."

"...I can't believe you actually went as far to get me these." Hoseok looked down at the box. "I know enough about the idol company area to know that finding these weren't easy. Not to mention, you took a long time in the 'bathroom'." Hoseok lifted his head to stare at you in the eyes. You gulped at the intense gaze, but you couldn't get yourself to look away. He made it feel like you were caught doing something wrong. Hoseok lifted his hand to caress your cheek. He smiled, noting how warm your cheeks were. He lightly rested his forehead against yours. "Glad to know pain relief patches can be bought in bathrooms these days." He laughed, stepping away from you and leaving the room.

Gosh. You brought your hand up to your chest nervously. It keeps beating weirdly like this today and you're not quite sure if you like that. Biting your lip, all you knew was that it was overwhelming. Forget it. You shook your head and went up to the sink. Turning on the water, you splashed your face and got yourself to calm down. The boys had a successful interview in the end. Their personalities really shined through as they spoke about their music, choreography, and dreams. There were also little questions to get to know the group. At one point, the interviewer noticed Hoseok's patches creeping up from his shirt. The other members were shocked and immediately stated how hard Hoseok works to create the choreography and to keep their performance high. Hoseok only shook his head, saying he gets sore like everyone else. Stop being modest!

Other than that, nothing else happened. Your Mom agreed to pick you up from the company just so Dad doesn't get any suspicions. The boys were waiting until your Mom's car came around. They didn't want to leave you standing outside at night all by yourself. As soon as Mom showed up, you said goodbye to the boys. The preteens were tired and waved with Seokjin. Namjoon came up to you first to give you a gentle embrace. After him, Yoongi made sure to give you a lung crushing hug. He laughed at your shocked reaction and you just wanted to pinch him in return. Hoseok then came in to give you a warm hug. You appreciated their hugs and said goodbye as you entered your Mom's car. Buckling your seat, Mom began to drive away. You looked through the mirror, seeing the rappers watch the car leave.

"How was your day?" Mom asked. You leaned your head against the cold window, staring up into the dark sky. How was your day? It was hard to put it into words as you felt your heart beating strangely again.

"A lot." You sighed, hoping you figured this feeling out sooner or later.


	55. Fake Friends

Ch.55

You almost had no sleep last night. It was ridiculous! During the night, you kept tossing and turning with thoughts continuously popping up in your head. It was mainly the look the three rappers gave you today. The one where you felt like you couldn't breathe under their gaze. It was beginning to worry you. Just thinking back on their eyes had your heart racing. Why? You kept kicking off your blankets from how hot it was getting. Your entire body was flushed and it wasn't something you enjoyed. Leaving your bed in the middle of the night, you went to get a glass of water. Something to help you calm down. Plus, your throat was feeling really dry. When you went down there, you stared at your water more than drinking it.

Footsteps broke you out of your thoughts right away. Growing alert, you saw your Dad step into the kitchen with a worried expression. He rubbed his eyes, seeing you standing there and doing nothing. Dad immediately asked why you were up at midnight staring at a cup of water. Though you felt more comfortable talking to Mom about these kinds of things, it just felt too strong in your chest. A heavy sigh escaped your lips as you asked your father to listen. Don't interrupt. Don't go on one of your monologues about how you're his princess and how he'll miss you. Dad stared at you with sad eyes, seeing what this might be about.

"I think...I might have feelings for a boy." You frowned. "But there's three boys in total and I can't tell if what I'm feeling is just another crush or something else. All three of them are confusing me."

"Three?" Dad raised a brow. He pursed his lips before scratching the back of his head. "Well Gum Drop...boys are weird."

"You think?" You wanted to laugh. It just didn't feel like the right moment to do so. "I just...I want to figure it out. It feels like they've been interested in me for a while now, but I've been so confused myself. What if by the time I figure it out...they've moved on? They're not interested?"

"You're worried that they won't be interested if you make them wait too long?" Dad repeated, looking almost upset. You've never really seen Dad angry before. It was actually pretty intimidating. "I wouldn't want anyone who you have to fight to keep interested in you _anywhere_ near you. I don't want you forcing yourself to choose one of them just so they can be happy. It's okay to not be ready to date, my little one. You don't have to force yourself even if you're in high school and even if it might not be cool to stay single during this time in your life."

"..." You stared up at Dad silently.

"To be honest, I don't care much about his background. He can come from nothing, but I want him to improve himself based on you. He doesn't need the best manners or need to be the most skilled. As long as he's genuinely interested in you." Dad booped your nose. "Enough to notice the way your nose scrunches when you do your quick and tiny laughs. Enough for him to love and appreciate everything that you do. The right one will be there waiting no matter what. You don't have to keep him 'interested' by doing something you're uncomfortable with. Just be you. Even if you are my precious princess and it hurts to see you stressing over something like this, I want you to know that it will work out and you'll know. One day you'll just know he's the one without question. Then he and I will have the most important thing in common and that is you, Gum Drop."

"...I love you, Appa." You smiled. Now your thoughts weren't too worried on your friends. Or Hyunho. He was still a strong crush you had. "Thanks for the talk, Appa. Four boys can be a lot to handle." Dad gave you a hug before you started heading back towards your room. You felt yourself finally calming down about the situation. There was no rush and you'll know who's the one soon enough. As you made it to your room, Dad called out to you again.

"Hey Princess, uh...you said three boys then later four boys. Is it really four boys in total?" Dad nervously rubbed the back of his neck. You quietly laughed, quickly giving him a smile. One where your nose scrunched up slightly.

"Good night, Appa." You went back into your room.

Things were a little easier after that. You were able to sleep without worrying too much about your feelings. Though you did want to figure them out, you realized you couldn't force yourself. After all, Dad wasn't even chasing after Mom in the beginning. He was really naïve according to Mom, but he stayed with her because he knew she was the one. Mom only said that one day Dad just tried to go all out for her on their one year anniversary. It ended really badly in his opinion. The reservation was lost, it was pouring rain, there were no taxis around, and he forgot his key at home so he would have been locked out anyway. Dad also slipped in the mud and started to cry in front of Mom, but she didn't think he was pathetic at all like Dad always remembered it. Instead Mom dropped herself into the mud next to him in her expensive dress and hugged him. Then she asked him to marry her.

Dad was so worried about Mom not having a good time. You figured you should apply that for when you begin to date. Hopefully without the mud part. Just seeing if they put your happiness above their own. Not all the time, but sometimes. You'd like your future husband to be happy too without solely focusing on you. It sounded like a solid plan. Though you were only in high school, you had a strong feeling that you've possibly already met your special one. Whoever he was out of the boys you've met was to be determined. When you arrived at school, you felt a lot more confident. Especially since the first thing the boys did when they saw you was tease you.

It was a bit windy this morning. When you got off the bus, you knew it would make your hair look messy. Namjoon didn't want to say anything and Yoongi was silently laughing. Hoseok then pointed it out to your dismay. He tried fixing it, but Yoongi only complained that he was ruining it. With an annoyed expression, you just let them mess up your hair more. Namjoon grew tired of them and attempted to fix your hair. How many boys does it take to fix a girl's hair? Eventually, you smacked their hands away and just patted it down yourself. They're ridiculous. But cute. You appreciated it anyway as the four of you entered the castle of a school.

The day started off normal for a couple minutes. The second you guys saw students in the halls is when things began to get weird. People were staring at the three rappers more than ever. It wasn't the same teasing or superior look they had on Thursday. It actually looked like people were too embarrassed to talk to them. They stared in awe and some turned around instantly. The four of you were automatically addled by the sudden change in behavior. It wasn't making any sense. You tried listening in to the whispers, but the most you could pick out from their conversations was the contest. They definitely all saw the boys perform I Need You on television.

Glances were exchanged between you and the rappers. They knew something was up with their classmates. This week was going to be interesting and today was only Monday. This was going to be a long week too with how everyone else is acting. At least this Friday is a holiday! There would be no need to skip school for tech rehearsal. Another good perk was that next week was the last round. After the last round, spring break would begin for you and the others. Seokjin wouldn't be working and the little zoo share the same break as you and the rappers. You already couldn't wait, dreaming of break as you entered Mr. Kim's classroom.

"We practice today during lunch." Hoseok reminded the two boys. "The DNA choreography is hard."

"I know it is..." Yoongi groaned, dropping his body into his seat.

"We'll meet you outside then." Namjoon patted Yoongi for encouragement. The tiger only growled, ready to claw at the class president. Namjoon chuckled as he walked up to the front of the classroom to write class announcements.

"Hey, it won't be so bad." You smiled as you took your seat. "You know, I got a text from your fanboys. They were all able to coordinate and are able to see you perform next Saturday. I told them that you guys will definitely pass the third round."

"Right." Yoongi grinned at the mention of his fanboys. He leaned back in his seat as you heard whispers floating around the classroom. Looking up from your seat, you noticed people staring at the three rappers. All of them shared the same nervous faces for some reason. You were extremely confused until one of the fake friends of Hoseok's entered the room. They rushed to him with a suspiciously large smile.

"Hoseok! I didn't know you could rap or dance like that! You guys put on quite the show." He laughed as the other fake ones joined in. Yoongi grumbled under his breath. Hoseok only looked up at them with smiles. He's too nice to say anything and you were ready to throw a pencil at those fake b*tches. Namjoon was writing something on the white board, but you knew he was listening in. "You don't mind if we take a picture with you, do you?"

"A picture?" Hoseok tilted his head. The boy's got into position, ready to take a selca with an unwilling popular boy.

"You're like famous!" They laughed. "That song was actually pretty good!"

"I want a photo too!"

"Hey Hoseok, maybe you can post this on your own social media. Maybe give me like a shout out?" They all grinned at him. Hoseok frowned as he saw what they were doing. Yoongi had enough of listening in to their bullsh*t. He stood up abruptly from his seat. Heads turned when they heard the screech of his chair go back. They stopped whispering, avoiding his burning gaze that was reserved for only certain people in the room. Yoongi stomped over to rip the phone out of their hands. The fake friends stopped laughing and stared at Yoongi in disbelief at what he had done. Hoseok muttered an apology, but it was hard to tell who he was saying sorry to. Either to the fake friends he didn't want to upset too much or to Yoongi, for not standing up for himself.

"Leave him alone." Yoongi hissed. "You guys were making fun of us on Friday and now you're acting like that never f*cking happened? Fake f*cks—"

"Yoongi—" Hoseok stood up.

"Oh? Are you really gonna talk to us like that?" One of the boys replied. They walked up to Yoongi, scoffing at him. "We're just big fans. We really liked your little song...or what? You don't appreciate fans asking for photos?"

"Like hell you guys are fans!" Yoongi yelled.

"Keep it quiet!" Namjoon turned around from the board. He wrote down school announcements as his job. Another part of being class president was keeping the class in check. He clearly didn't want to get too involved, but it was getting harder. You looked around the classroom, but Mr. Kim wasn't here. You guys need Seokjin.

"Gosh, we're being treated so badly. It'd be a shame if we put this out online." They grinned. "Have everyone know that the members of BTS are actually @ssholes."

"You won't be doing that!" You huffed. The fake boys looked over at you, annoyed that you had to interrupt. "Not unless you want to deal with defamation—"

"Oh shut up. You're just saying dumb stuff." They rolled their eyes. "Do you know who my Appa is? He's a lawyer! From one of the top firms in South Korea! And he could easily take everything you own, public school b*tch."

"Mr. Kim! Welcome back to your classroom!" Namjoon exclaimed loudly as he bowed to the teacher. The fake boys froze to hear that. Eyes traveled to the front of the room, showing Seokjin with a disappointed expression. He sighed and demanded that the fake boys step out of the classroom. Once the three boys stood outside, the bell rang for class to start. Seokjin was automatically going to yell at them for holding up class first before teaching them about basic respect. Namjoon looked over at you with a sympathetic face. You didn't care too much. Screw those guys. Like you care what they think about you.

It's just really disappointing that Seokjin has to see his students act like this. He expects the best from them naturally. Then he befriends you and your friends, only to see that you guys are the ones most often picked on. Namjoon began class announcements while Seokjin dealt with the fake friends. Hoseok looked over at Yoongi and you with a frown. He didn't need to worry about you. Yoongi didn't care too much either. He was just glad that they were out of the room and most likely going to get a good scolding from Seokjin. Yoongi returned back to his seat, listening to Namjoon who went down the list. You were only surprised with how many people were listening to what Namjoon had to say.

As the class president finished up, one girl asked him if he could rap the announcement. Namjoon paused in his steps before returning to his seat. He ignored her and thankfully so. The main thing that sucked was how many people actually watched the competition at your school. Tons of students were looking at the rappers for the entire day. There were some innocent people who you've never seen before, but they were singing the lyrics of I Need You down the halls. It almost felt like the song became a hit at your school. Students weren't making fun of your boys anymore. That didn't mean you guys were rejoicing to be accepted. Students were now saying hello and trying to act friendly as if they never said anything rude in the past.

It quickly grew annoying in just one day. Seokjin later asked if you guys were okay. Well, there wasn't much you guys could do. Most people were either faking kindness to you guys or keeping their hate behind a screen now. Ever since the success of I Need You, people are starting to respect BTS a little. Seokjin was afraid he was going to get caught. So far students were staring at him more than normal, but no one was saying anything. Some people though were positive that the guy who danced with BTS was even more handsome and he's supposedly younger too. Seokjin almost lost it when he heard that the idol version of him with makeup and nice clothes was more handsome. He was ready to expose himself until Yoongi forced him to restrain himself.

Other than that, surviving this week has been interesting. The fakeness in people was really starting to jump out. The four of you tried to ignore it and keep practicing for the contest. Every day after school, the boys worked hard to perfect their performance for DNA. It needed a lot of attention to detail due to how quick the choreography was. It demanded high energy, quick foot work, and knowing exactly how to control your body. Matching the tempo was important. That's why Hoseok continuously practiced with Yoongi and Namjoon during lunch too. The zoo promised they would practice during lunch too. All you guys had to do was make sure no one else interrupted practice.

"I'm just glad it's finally Thursday." Yoongi set down his water bottle. "We won't have to deal with our annoying as sh*t classmates tomorrow."

"We can focus on tech and perfecting DNA for the third round." Namjoon sighed heavily. "That's sounding super good to me."

"The amount of people who have asked me to take photos of them with you guys is ridiculous." You laughed to see them all roll their eyes. None of them have accepted taking photos, claiming it was against the contract. Just little lies for some sort of privacy. It also was to not be associated with the people who made fun of them in the beginning.

"I think the people who try to take photos of us in secret are worse," Hoseok admitted. The boys groaned in agreement. They never thought they would have to deal with this so early on. All of them assumed that was only for famous people.

"I guess this is what being in the spotlight is like." You shrugged. No one really wanted photos with BTS's manager, so you were fine. People didn't really bother you for contest related things. They only pestered you to know more about the rapper's and other crap. It was so frustrating to have people hand you awful gifts to hand to the rapper's in hopes of establishing a 'friendship'. The boys didn't owe them anything at all. A pack of gum won't fix the hurt the boys had to take. "I'm so sorry. I wish there was more I could do than get help from Seokjin and Principal Yoo."

"You do your best for us. That's the more than we could ask for." Namjoon smiled.

"We'll do just fine, (F/n). We're strong." Yoongi chuckled.

"I like that! That's the spirit!" Hoseok laughed as he walked back to center. Namjoon and Yoongi stopped messing around, taking their own positions. "Ready to review?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Yoongi said.

"Let's do this once last time." Namjoon nodded his head. You smiled as you played the music for DNA. The boys would be reviewing their parts for the entire song. Moving your head along to the music, you noticed something move up in the window. You looked up to see a couple students gathered at the second floor. They had their phones out and your heart almost dropped. They better not be recording this dance! It's supposed to be revealed on Saturday for the third round.

"STOP!" You shut off the music. Hoseok frowned in confusion, panting and sweating. Yoongi furrowed his brows until they saw what you were pointing at. Namjoon huffed the second he saw the students try to run away from being caught.

"This is f*cking ridiculous." Namjoon began running inside.

"What are we gonna do?" Hoseok looked at you and Yoongi.

"Make them delete it." Yoongi ran inside.

"Go! I'll get Seokjin or the Principal." You motioned Hoseok to join the rappers. He nodded, turning around to chase after the students who were begging to cause trouble. You went on your way for faculty help. The first person you could find was Seokjin. By the time you got the teacher, the rappers caught all the students. You pretended to explain the situation to the teacher for the first time and Seokjin told you that he would take care of it. He was going to explain that taking pictures or videos of people without their consent or knowledge was against the law. Though the students tried rebutting with the boys being celebrities, Seokjin stated that they were regular students at school and should be treated as such.

It was becoming such a huge issue that Principal Yoo couldn't ignore it. He eventually sent out an email to all the students saying that anyone caught bothering the three rappers will face consequences. It was suspicious, but Principal Yoo justified it by considering it bullying and for the fact that the rappers are under contract. The school has no choice but to respect that. People were automatically wondering if you guys forced the principal to send that email out. Yoongi didn't even know that Principal Yoo would send that out. Well, there was no taking it back now. You guys just might as well keep marching forward without worrying too much.

The boys were glad when it was finally Friday. They've been waiting for tech rehearsal since Monday. They couldn't stand dealing with any of their classmates and rightfully so. You were growing tired of dealing with them too. Luckily, there's only one more week of school before spring break. A break from your classmates sounded wonderful. Aside from all that, you guys were currently signing in with staff. You were putting the name tags on each of the members and waiting for a lighting assistant to come your way. The lighting you wanted for DNA was going to be a lot more complex and involve much more colors. You already informed the boys that tech might take longer due to the stage you want them to have.

"It's not crooked anymore!" Taehyung grinned. He stared down at his name tag, happily letting everyone know that he goes by V once he's on stage.

"Of course, it's not. Noona helped you." Jimin patted down the puppy's hair. The puppy played and got it a little messy earlier.

"Noona! Help me!" Jungkook whined. The bunny had a deep frown, desperate to follow his favorite hyung towards the stage. He unfortunately got his shirt stuck to some tech equipment and was too scared to move.

"I'm coming, Kookie. Can we get some help over here?" You called out. A staff member came by, feeling bad for the thirteen year old. Once the bunny was free, he thanked them and ran to follow Yoongi on the stage.

"You guys should head up on stage." You stated to the puppy and baby chick. The two looked at you with smiles before running to meet up with the others. Seokjin was already pacing around the stage, doing extra vocal warmups. Hoseok was stretching near the edge of the stage meanwhile Yoongi and Namjoon were talking to staff. That's when a lighting assistant walked up to you with her note sheets. She clicked her pen and you were already smirking. "How many colors do you guys have?"

"Oh, we have..." She pulled off her color gel samples from her belt. She held up the tiny filter sheets and there had to be at least over fifty. Perfect.

"We'll use all of them!" You clapped your hands together. She dropped her samples.

Besides the lighting assistant almost having a heart attack, everything went perfect as always. You obviously couldn't use every color gel sheet. You mainly wanted to use bright colors like yellow, green, orange, purple, blue, white, pink, and red. Stuff that will really pop. You wanted the stage constantly to have lights on it with side lights and back lights occasionally brightening during certain drops of the song. Then you had two requests to make for the camera crew and people in charge of stage effects. After Jimin holds his hand out to the camera, you want a light rain of confetti from the sky to fall around them. You also want the camera to shake along with Jimin's movements. This stage was a lot busier with lighting, but it had to be. There were moments when the other members would run to the side and only two would dancing in the center. You had to keep the excitement and quality high.

"Be cute during your part! It's important!" Hoseok whined at the class president who was acting like he couldn't hear him. "Please!"

"Do it for our fans, you coward." Seokjin cheered from the far back.

"Yah!" Namjoon huffed, facing the teacher. As soon as he said that, Seokjin glared back threateningly. Almost to say that Namjoon really shouldn't be speaking to his elder hyung like that if he wants passing grades and a ride home. "...Hoseok—"

"Namjoon isn't cute." Yoongi scoffed. "He's awkward."

"I-I am not that either!" Namjoon crossed his arms.

"Hyung is awkward, but loveable!" Taehyung rushed to Namjoon, hugging him tightly. The blonde sighed and looked down at the cuddly puppy.

"You're not helping, Squirt." Namjoon flicked the boy's forehead. Taehyung pouted but stayed near his hyung.

"Why can't Jungkook do the cute stuff? He's the maknae." Yoongi shrugged.

"NO." Jungkook shouted from the far back. He was standing next to his uncle, the two of them refusing to let anyone use them or be rude.

"Taehyung and I can be cute!" Jimin suggested. "Hobi hyung is right though! I want to see Joonie hyung do a finger heart to the camera at the end of his rap!"

"A finger heart?" Namjoon frowned.

"That's so simple that it should be easy!" Hoseok repeatedly smacked Namjoon's shoulders. "You can handle that!"

"Stop hurting me!" Namjoon huffed.

"Do it to the camera and wink too." Yoongi chuckled. Namjoon was ready to throw two people off the stage. They were on a five minute break right now due to the stage you planned for them. Lighting staff were figuring out which lights blended nicely together and didn't look strange together. They knew you wanted a high energy set that was colorful and strong. They were working on setting up a clear cue sheet so that's why the boys were acting like this. You were watching the entire thing, judging with a happy smile. Namjoon sighed heavily as all his members chanted 'peer pressure'. He looked so done with them. This wasn't what he signed up for, but you were living for it.

"Come on, Joonie!" You hollered. Namjoon froze, his cheeks heating up as he realized you were watching this whole scene. "Peer pressure!!"

Namjoon quietly rapped the end of his part on stage. As soon as he said 'true lovers', he gave you two finger hearts and he purposely hid his face with them. He smiled as everyone cheered and quickly grew embarrassed. He covered his face with his hands as he groaned. Hoseok happily hugged him from behind for moral support. Tech was fun exactly for this reason. You clapped as hard as you could, living for the finger hearts you had just received. Fans are going to love this! Eventually, the boys had to pull themselves together again. Staff and crew were out as they ran the stage multiple times. You were excited to see some of the staff moving theirs heads along to the music. Some of them were so obviously enjoying it and impressed that you felt elated. Soon BTS had their stage perfected and were released.

"Tomorrow is the third round!!" You yelled as the seven boys ran off stage.

"We're going to crush the competition!" Hoseok jumped off the highest step.

"We're going to be famous, Noona!" Taehyung giggled.

"We're going to be a real idol group for sure!" Jungkook confidently marched alongside Yoongi.

"The best one out there too." Yoongi ruffled the bunny's hair.

"Where are we eating today?" Jimin asked.

"I was thinking the same thing, Jimin-a." Seokjin chuckled, wrapping his arm around the baby chick's shoulders.

"Why not order takeout and eat at my place?" Namjoon shrugged. "It makes our sleepover easier." The young kids were already screaming in agreement. As everyone made their way towards the exit, you guys saw the members of D-Crunch entering. The eight of you quieted down to give them competitive glares. They returned it as they walked past you guys, talking loudly on purpose as they claimed that they would be winning the first rank this time. You smiled at your boys, seeing them more fired up than ever.


	56. Third Round

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: D-Crunch's song is Panorama and it's an absolute bop)

Ch.56

The boys practiced DNA practically a hundred times during the sleepover. All of them needed it to be perfect which was understandable. A week to make a well done performance is almost impossible, but yours boys were doing it. BTS was going to mean something. You could tell in the way they sang and rapped. Their dances moves were done full out, sharp and textured with high energy. No one was a weak link to the team. All of them added their own unique charm and it was hard to get enough of their performances. Eventually the boys naturally tired themselves out and the sun was beginning to set over the neighborhood.

Everyone came back inside, rushing to the kitchen for drinks of water. You winced at the sight of the table. All of you had eaten and left your trash everywhere. Namjoon told you not to worry about it, but it was getting to you. The strong urge to clean up was coming out and you could see Hoseok twitching at the sight. He muttered that no one could live like this and pulled out a trash bag. Yes! You quickly helped him, not wanting to live with garbage lying around for another second. Namjoon was confused as he saw you two working together. In seconds, the kitchen table was cleared and Hoseok took the trash bag outside. It was beautiful. This is how it should be.

Namjoon only sighed and thanked you guys. He did mutter things about him planning on taking care of it later, but the idea made you scream. He was going to ignore it for tonight and you guys will be at the contest venue from early morning to late at night tomorrow. You felt lightheaded and Hoseok was in the same boat. He cringed, close to falling over. Taehyung laughed and thought you guys were joking around. Things would have a been a lot different if you two were joking around. Anyway, you had the sleeping bags set up in the living room and you just needed them to fall asleep for tomorrow. They have a big day ahead of them. They need to give the third round everything they got!

"Sleep tight, Boys!" You set up the alarm on your phone.

"I don't want to go to bed yet!" Taehyung rushed to turn on the television. A sigh left your lips at the fight he was putting up. Not today, Puppy.

"Tae, please. You guys need to be ready to have energy for an entire day." You pointed out. "You know it's not easy."

"Let's just watch _one_ movie! Please!" Taehyung was already grabbing the tv remote. The puppy was scrambling around, finding a channel to stay on. Marching over to him, you eyed him down for intimidation. "It's only eight! We can't sleep right now!"

"Kim Taehyung, don't make me get your older brother." You put your hands on your hips.

"But Eomma—!" Taehyung immediately gasped. He covered his mouth, shocked at what left his lips. You felt your heart jump at that. Did he just call you 'Mom'? It was slightly embarrassing for you. For Taehyung, it was the worst thing in the world to him. He corrected himself and was a stuttering mess. "N-Noona! I m-meant Noona!"

"That's f*cking rough." Seokjin laughed. The two of you turned to see him already seated on the couch. "I came to watch a movie."

"Hyung, get lost!" Taehyung kicked his leg.

"Yah! Do you want to get smothered by a pillow!?" Seokjin grabbed the closest one near him.

"You know what will happen if you challenge me with pillows!" Taehyung threatened. The older man swallowed hard, putting down his weapon. You shook your head and soon noticed a crowd of people standing at the entrance of the living room. They stared at you and Taehyung, biting back on what they wanted to say.

"What?" You scoffed.

"Taehyung didn't mean it." Namjoon gave you a weak smile.

"It's not that you're old—" Yoongi started.

"—just motherly!" Hoseok finished for him, nudging the delinquent in the ribs.

"Shut up and take a seat! We're watching a movie." You growled. The boys nodded without question. Jimin and Jungkook snickered, ready to poke fun at the blushing puppy.

"Did you forget who your real Eomma is?" Jungkook laughed.

"She's Noona, dummy." Jimin hugged Taehyung. The puppy glanced at you but quickly kept his eyes glued to the screen.

"I know that. You guys are just @ssholes." Taehyung huffed. Jimin and Jungkook sucked in their breaths. The little zoo knew better than to swear in front of their hyungs and noona. Their eyes slowly moved over to see the display of shocked and upset expressions. Taehyung gave his hyung an awkward grin, trying to play innocent. Namjoon quickly stood up and lifted Taehyung up from his seat. "W-What are you doing!? Hyung!! STOP!!"

"Bad!" Namjoon turned the boy around, spanking him. Jungkook and Jimin looked away, pretending their friend wasn't getting reprimanded right in front of their eyes. Yoongi winced and whispered for Taehyung to pull through. Namjoon then dusted off his hands as he returned back to his seat.

"You just spanked Tae..." Hoseok stated.

"Isn't Taehyung too old for that?" Seokjin furrowed his brows.

"Yeah!" Taehyung whined, rubbing his butt.

"Like hell you are. Sit down." Namjoon glared at the puppy.

"Okay! This is just a wonderful night!" You shrank in your seat. Taehyung pouted, rushing to sit next to you for the entire movie. The puppy was too upset that he got scolded. Anytime Namjoon tried to reach towards the puppy, he would get barked at and bit. The tall eagle didn't mean to cause too much harm with his talons. By the time the boys were getting ready to go to bed, the eagle made another attempt for forgiveness. He tried wrapping his wings around the puppy, but that didn't end well. While Namjoon hugged Taehyung, the preteen began biting his shoulder. You thought Namjoon was going to push Taehyung off, but you were mistaken. The eagle began pecking at his brother's shoulder too. So in the end, they were both biting each other's shoulders...The class president with the highest scores of everyone in Sehwang Academy, an incredibly prestigious school, was biting his little brother's shoulder...out of revenge.

"Boys will be boys." Seokjin tucked himself into his sleeping bag as the biting chaos continued. "Good night."

You really wished the weirdness ended there. Except there was one last event before everyone finally pulled themselves together. Jungkook crawled over to Seokjin and attempted to bite his head, not caring too much about the full head of hair. Seokjin screeched and you had to put them in a time out. Somehow the people actually related by blood had lost it. If any of them caused any more nonsense, you would be kicking them wherever you pleased. Them being boys...well they automatically thought you were going to kick a certain area. Accepting the threat, the boys tucked themselves and were basically like angels. Thank goodness because you were getting tired.

The first people to fall asleep were the little zoo, Seokjin, and Yoongi. Hoseok and Namjoon had their eyes closed when you walked off to the bathroom. You went to brush your teeth and when you came back, you caught them playing a game together on their phones. Shaking your head at them, you ruffled both of their heads. These boys. Namjoon and Hoseok looked embarrassed but were just glad that you weren't furious. You allowed them to play for ten more minutes and then they would seriously have to go to bed. Just hearing yourself say that made you feel like a Mom. That's so strange. You're only sixteen and Taehyung called you his mom. It made you want to scream, but you might as well just go to bed already.

"Did you just die?" Namjoon tried not to laugh.

"He blew up out nowhere." Hoseok pouted.

"If you see creepers then you just run." Namjoon rolled his eyes.

"But there was red stone behind it!" Hoseok groaned softly. You stared up at the ceiling as they continued to play. By the time there was one minute left for them, you heard Namjoon and Hoseok gasp. "D-Did we just get killed?"

"Who entered our world?" Namjoon frowned.

"I did. Go to bed already!" Yoongi hissed as he set his phone aside. Namjoon sighed and Hoseok whined about all the items he must have dropped. You giggled to yourself, closing your eyes to finally fall asleep.

Things were going a lot better in the morning. There was no time to mess around. The boys ate breakfast and cleaned themselves up as quick as they could. The outfits were in Seokjin's car as always where all of you crammed yourselves in. This time Ms. Min was only going to be watching the show on tv. She said she would make Myunghan watch with her. That had Seokjin nervous, but you guys figured he would be fine. You doubt Myunghan would go furious over this. Mom found out that Dad knew about the three boys. She didn't say anything, but you thought it was best to stop keeping Dad in the dark. Mom explained everything to Dad after you left the house to do tech with boys. Basically, you've had your phone off for an entire day to avoid the spam of texts and calls you'll be getting from Dad.

At least Dad knew now! Mom was going to have him watch the contest and make him vote for your boys. Dad was always a sucker for Mom's charms anyway. Then Hoseok's mom always forced a lot of the hospital staff to watch BTS. Whichever hospital staff wasn't on call, she made them watch. Then with all the classmates you guys have...the boys knew they had more familiar eyes on them than usual. They would be earning a lot of votes too with their little fanbase they've grown. You also knew that DNA would throw them into another league that the other groups just couldn't keep up with. It was just something you noticed. Most of the other groups had reached their peak. It's not easy to improve rapidly and come up with something astounding. That's why there was something special with your group of boys.

The only group they felt remotely threatened by was their rivals.

Speaking of them, you saw them carrying their clothes into their tents. Seokjin was parking his car when you saw the little ones of their group scurrying. They must have signed in already. Once the car was parked, Namjoon handled signing BTS in. You carried their own box of clothes over to BTS's designated tent. The boys would be wearing different outfits with no real color scheme this time. Some of them wearing loose silk shirts while others were wearing blazers. They all made it work even if the outfits looked all over the place. As you set down the box in their tent, you heard familiar voices passing by the tent. Your rivals! Quickly, you poked your head out to see the H4 dressed in all black.

"Woah," You heard yourself say. The four of them stopped talking to see you stealing a peek at them. It was just your head popping out from the tent. Hyunoh laughed as he walked over to you. Even with his bright personality, that outfit of his was telling you to expect something intense from them. The other three were practically wearing suits, but Hyunoh almost had a see-through shirt underneath his vest. Despite the four of them wearing all black, they all looked striking and stood out in their own ways.

"(F/n) noona!" Hyunoh laughed. "You like our concept? Dark, right?"

"What is your song about?" You asked.

"That's top secret." Hyunwook shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

"Just know that it's going to beat whatever BTS has planned." Hyunwoo smirked.

"Oh, I highly doubt that." You grinned, stepping out from the tent to be closer to them.

"We worked our @sses off and bought these expensive clothes. This won't all be for nothing." Hyunwook pointed at everything around him. He sighed, looking frustrated and you only smiled at him. "Quit that."

"We're friends!" You giggled, smacking his shoulder. Hyunwook instantly took a step back and rubbed his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes on you and you loved it. Now _this_ is a rival!

"Support us again this time!" Hyunoh playfully winked.

"Having BTS's manager cheer us on is the best." Hyunwoo agreed.

"Just don't cheer my exact name..." Hyunwook groaned.

"I'll cheer on your full name!" You declared. Hyunwook regretted speaking at this point. He only shook his head as Hyunho smiled in amusement. He was being quiet as always. Something about him having white hair while being dressed in all black was eye catching to you. Every couple seconds, you would glance at him. Mainly because of his intense gaze. Hyunoh then walked over to poke Hyunho's stomach.

"This song is really going to change it all for us, right Hyung?" Hyunoh grinned. Hyunho put his hand on his stomach as he nodded.

"We'll get first rank," Hyunho stated.

"I think that's reserved for BTS." You crossed your arms. As soon as you said that, you could see your boys walking over to the tent in the distance. They were all talking to each other and walking calmly. None of them noticed you were standing outside talking to four of their rivals.

"I guess we'll really see by the end of the competition." Hyunho took a couple steps forward. You held your breath as he did so. He looked down at you, standing at six feet. He began walking away and left you with a bright blush across your face. He can't just leave you feeling so embarrassed! This is so unfair! Hyunoh and Hyunwoo snickered as they followed after their hyung. That left Hyunwook to look you up and down before scoffing. He walked off to join his members while you were feeling a bit fangirly over Hyunho still.

"Is he flirting with me?" You giggled, playing with your hair.

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Yoongi's voice made you jump into the air. Hoseok and Namjoon laughed while you only wanted to punch them. The little zoo made their way into the tent with Seokjin. "Just get changed and get ready for microphones!"

"On it, Manager-nim." Hoseok saluted you as he stepped inside.

"Great work, (F/n)." Namjoon laughed as he squeezed your shoulder. "Sorry for startling you."

"Yeah, whatever." You sighed as Namjoon closed the cloth door so they could all change.

The boys did their usual routine for when preparing for the contest. All of them switched into their outfits. They let you fond over them before letting staff attach microphones onto them. You pinched the cheeks of the zoo first. After most of them whined, you let them walk off to get their microphones checked. Taehyung was the only one who enjoyed acting like a baby. He let you pinch his cheeks, squealing and giggling. Jungkook did the most whining about how it's embarrassing. Apparently he's too old to get doted on. What lies. Then Jimin let you do it for a while and then he quickly told you he had to join the others. He wanted to be professional and not be late. Fair enough.

Since the boys left you all alone to do their job, you decided to wander a bit. You weren't doing it aimlessly though. No, you were on a mission. Though you knew D-Crunch was here, you didn't really know their exact tent. There weren't that many tents anymore and you wanted to see them all in their outfits. Just from seeing the H4 looking gothic in all black, you wanted to see the rest. There were eleven other groups here that you were sort of familiar with. They bowed at you and knew you were the manager of BTS. Other than that, the only group you were close to aside from the one you were managing was their rival group.

The main thing you were looking out for was their voices. There are nine of them so they're bound to be loud. You'll announce yourself to see if they'll open their tent up for you. If they tell you to get lost then you understand. You kept your eyes peeled, hoping to see one of them roaming around the tents. Nope. They weren't on stage, but they should be getting ready to do so. As you turned into one section of the tents, you heard a lot of males cheering loudly. Inching your way to it curiously, you listened in through the thin cloth door. They seemed to be pumping themselves up and boosting up their member's energy. The voices eventually quieted down when the cloth door opened. Someone instantly bumped into you and you wished to disappear. Sh*t! They were a lot shorter, quickly panicking and attracting the attention of their other members.

"(F/n) noona?" You looked down to see Dylan furrowing his brows at you. In that second, the tent door was ripped wide open. All eight boys were staring at you in surprise. Some of them eventually smirking at your presence.

"Oh, well will you look at that?" Sangchan took a couple steps towards you. "Running to us for something?"

"I just came by!" You quickly spouted out.

"And conveniently had our maknae bump into you near our only exit. Sure." Sangchan smirked. He soon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose dramatically. "Say no more, Noona. You want to become our manager instead of working for BTS, right?"

"That is not the case whatsoever." You laughed unintentionally. The members all frowned so you bit your lips. Wrong timing for that. "I actually wanted to see all of your outfits."

"Oh yeah!" Hyunoh jumped, clapping his hands to catch everyone's attention. "Noona saw us H4 earlier and really liked our clothes. We look super good, huh?"

"Stylish." Jeongseung struck a pose in front of you. "See this, Noona? All of this! These clothes are worth more than my _existence_—"

"Don't exaggerate." Hyunwook warned.

"Where's the lie?" Jeongseung pouted.

"Okay, they were a little pricey," Chanyoung admitted, "But for a good cause!"

"Exactly! Good cause!" Minhyuk nodded his head. "Check it out. I have one glove and Hyunho hyung has just one too."

"When we're still on a budget." Hyunwoo snickered. Sangchan rammed his elbow into Hyunwoo's ribs. The glasses almost fell off the poor boy. Hyunwoo bent over and quickly began smacking his leader.

"H-Hey! I'm gonna try to talk to Noona!" Sangchan began fighting back.

"You can't just do that and get away with it!" Hyunwoo screamed.

"Idiots! Stop!" Hyunwook shouted. Hyunoh ran over, splitting them up with a hopeful smile that they wouldn't continue. Hyunwoo huffed and adjusted his glasses. Sangchan shook his head, looking over at you with an awkward smile.

"You didn't see any of that." Sangchan cleared his throat.

"I have it recorded." Hyunho smiled at his phone. He stared at it quietly as Sangchan and Hyunwoo gasped. Their maknaes ran over to their hyung, watching the short video clip. Each of them giggled and Sangchan looked tired.

"Whatever! Noona, listen to me!" Sangchan put his hands on his hips.

"I'm listening!" You held back giggles.

"Just know that it won't be easy for BTS to get the first rank without a fight!" Sangchan threw his fist in the air. Immediately after that, his members all rallied behind him. They wouldn't stop making noise as if they wanted BTS to hear them from wherever they were at the moment. You smiled at all of them which wasn't the reaction they were expecting. They quieted down and stared at you curiously.

"I wish you all the best of luck." You bowed. The boys were quiet and made sure to bow ninety degrees back. Each of their faces carried intense amounts of determination that you didn't feel like squashing away with competitive talk. Even if you were super confident in BTS, the ranks all relied on the amounts of votes they got from viewers. That's when Dylan ran up to you with a small pack of rice pops. He held it up for you and it automatically warmed your heart. "Awe, thank you."

"Thanks for cheering us on, Noona. Even if we're your rivals." Dylan bowed again.

"Well you're also our friends too." You pinched his cheek. Dylan pouted at getting babied, acting just like Jungkook.

"I'm thirteen! I'm too old for that!" Dylan whined.

"Too old?" You huffed. Right away your eyes traveled over to Jeongseung who was laughing at his friend. He was leaning back in his chair, relaxed and enjoying the moment. He's a seventh grader too, huh? Jeongseung stopped laughing the second he saw your eyes on him. He stood up and shook his head as you walked over to him.

"N-Noona! No! I'm supposed to be cool and that will only ruin my—Ah!!" Jeongseung got his cheek pinched. "Aish, my street cred."

"That never existed." Chanyoung grinned. Jeongseung sent him a sharp glare as you tilted your head at the last maknae. He was in eighth grade so he was getting a bit older. Chanyoung's eyes widened as you stared at him. "O-Oh, now I'm _actually_ too old, Noona. Really."

"You have one year left." You pinched his cheek as he screamed, but giggled right after. That's the attitude you're looking for! Hyunoh put his hand over his heart as he rushed over to hug Chanyoung. This has been fun, but you've messed around with them long enough. Finally, you bowed as you announced you would be leaving. As you waved and took steps backwards, your eyes connected with Hyunho's. The two of you smiled at each other and you could feel your heart skip a beat. Oh sh*t. What was that? You stepped out of their tent, putting a hand on your chest. This felt like betrayal to your group. It's going to be fine. It's just a silly crush. Right?

Eventually you saw your boys leaving the main stage. The young ones were laughing as they ran over to their tent. You smiled softly at them and bowed at Seokjin who was shocked you weren't in the tent. He didn't really ask about it. Then behind him were the three rappers. Yoongi was talking about the final song. After so much work, he felt it was done and Hoseok felt happy with his rap. He just needed to record it. Once Hoseok records his voice, Namjoon will finally be able to listen to it and write his own lyrics to it. Namjoon looked extremely impatient as he pleaded Hoseok to record it as soon as possible. Even as you stared at them, you could still feel your heart pounding like a bell with Hyunho's face in your mind. You swear, if your Dad ever finds a way to meet your crushes...

Well, if you're being honest...you don't think you have a crush on your friends. There are just moments where you heart reacts strangely around them and when they make their feelings towards you obvious. They were extremely confusing. At least with Hyunho, things made sense. You have a crush on him and now you think he might actually like you back. It was simple. It was easy. Still terrifying, but a lot less complicated than your friends. Those three boys who everyone figured you would end dating at least one of them. Everyone you know basically wants you to choose one assuming you can't be able to just be friends with them. It was a little frustrating, but at the same time...you know how they feel about you. The rappers smiled at you, motioning you over to follow them back to the tent.

But emotions weren't really something you had time for at the moment! So you're just gonna shove those pesky things away under a carpet. That'll take care of things for a while. Right now you just need to manage BTS and support them during their performance. It wasn't long before you were seated with the growing audience. The usual things were happening. You waited in your seat while a decent crowd formed. Crew had their cameras ready while hosts were getting last minute makeup touches. They were already on stage, rehearsing their notecards. Though you were getting tired of experiencing this long wait, you hoped this wouldn't be the last time you had go through this.

By the time they were finally going live, you were still holding in your breath. For some reason you felt extremely nervous this round. The quick background clip they were showing told you that some groups had improved. The competition was shrinking, but that didn't mean your boys were safe. They would only have to keep fighting harder. You felt number during the first three performances. They were okay, but nothing too eye catching. They still had a chance of passing yet there was no one you knew who would certainly pass. That was until D-Crunch came out in their all black outfits that you were still living for. You'd be lying if you said you weren't bouncing on your toes for this. It was already a completely different vibe from their past stages.

Dylan took center while the rest were in an arrow formation at his sides. Only Chanyoung and Hyunwoo stood in front of him. As the music began playing, you could already hear it building up. It was intense as only one word was said every couple seconds. The boys did a rolling off move with only a few of them performing a move before others repeated it right after. As soon as Dylan began rapping, you knew this was going to be good. Others in the crowd were silent and kept their eyes on the stage. It was hard to look away when your rivals were the only one BTS had to truly fight against. No one else carried a torch to these two groups. There was no doubt in your mind that BTS and D-Crunch would take the first two ranks. You just weren't sure who would be the first rank anymore.

"_It's being unfolded again. My mind is becoming a mess. It feels as if you're reading my mind and controlling me, poisoning me, trapping me, low, low, low!_" Dylan smirked as he moved forward. The rest of the members had danced around him before they all jumped down into a squat. The only one standing was Hyunwoo in the back.

"_As you can see, it's a little dangerous. I'm stuck in a net that's suffocating me more and more._" Hyunwoo motioned the same moves as the ones on the floor. That's when Hyunwook stood up, dancing as if he was being controlled by Hyunwoo.

"_I can't hide anymore_." Hyunwook sang before joining the others as the formation switched up again. Hyunoh moved into center confidently and flirtatiously.

"_Hey, the more you try to get out of here, the more you deny it_." Hyunoh smiled as Hyunwook sang '_more!_' quickly. "_It's getting deeper._"

"_You're the one chosen by me._" Minhyuk took a step away from the formation as the others kept dancing. He quickly joined them as they took their past formation again with Hyunoh staying in center.

"_Yes, you, you!_" Hyunwook pointed to the crowd.

"_Without an end, it keeps happening, Baby_." Hyunoh winked.

"_There's no escape to this reality anyway_." Hyunho stopped dancing, standing next to Hyunoh. He spotted you in the crowd as he did his part. You were a blushing mess and you wished you were handling it better. You no longer had the BTS cloth banner to cover your pink face. Hyunwook took center now as they all aggressively kicked to the right. The lyrics are what really caught your attention too. Normally, you were a sucker for brighter concepts, but you were sort of liking this dark thing they had going on. It already had you hoping that the final song for BTS was a bit darker. DNA is very energetic and bright. The complete opposite stage from what their rivals were currently performing. You glanced at the side of the stage to see BTS watching. The older hyungs were doing well with keeping their reactions to a minimum while the young ones had their mouths wide open.

"_It's too late to run away, you're everywhere around me! Panorama, that is mine!_" Hyunwook sang as Sangchan shot up from his position to whisper '_she's mine_' in a way where a shiver ran down your spine. Okay, now you're really hoping the boy's do a darker concept too.

"_You have become my master~! My lord!_" Hyunoh sang from the side.

"_There's no turning back anyway._" Hyunwook continued to sing as you were cheering on. Sangchan was far back in center when he sang '_You are my destiny_'. Destiny? Interesting. You glanced back at your own boys who looked like they wanted to laught. They had their own song about destiny that they were going to perform. Though it was nothing like this. "_It's full of you_."

Jeongseung took center as he began rapping his part. The rest of the members spun onto the floor. They moved along with him as he walked over to the right. Soon enough, Chanyoung jumped to the front of the stage to do his own little rap. Though they had such sweet faces, their lyrics were a bit contradicting. They were almost obsessive yet the lyrics also sounded like they were willing to let their lover do anything to them. Even if it hurt them. Hyunwook eventually got center again and you completed your life's purpose by shouting his name loudly. He ignored you a lot better this time which made you proud and disappointed. Man, you were hoping for at least a glare.

Minhyuk traveled over to the right side as he said his line before Hyunwook stepped forward. Then you almost lost it again when Hyunho stepped out next to the lilac colored hair boy. He rolled his head and soon locked eyes with you again. This was too much. You were cheering too much for the rivals at this point. Hyunoh took center and you promised yourself to just quietly clap along at most. No screaming or anything. They've gotten all they can out of BTS's manager! The crowd almost lost it when Chanyoung and Sangchan had a small dance break. You weren't afraid to admit that you were a little proud of them. At least they're formidable opponents. You'll give them that! Even with you trying to busy yourself in your thoughts, you were still paying attention as Hyunwoo took center. The rest latched onto him as he sang. Well, you're fine. This is nothing.

"_Panoramaaa-ha-a~!_" Hyunoh sang an incredibly high note and you slipped up. You screamed. D*mn it. Okay, but that deserved a scream! The audience was living for it and you knew these guys were definitely garnering enough votes to carry them into the fourth and final round. Your eyes looked over at BTS to see them all biting their lips nervously. They still have this in the bag though. DNA is catchy and the choreography will have people in awe. There's no way they can't pass the third round!

The hosts were super hyped up after D-Crunch finished strong and mysterious. They certainly shook off the reputation that they had earned in the beginning. These guys were working hard. They went from Stealer to Panorama. They must have preplanned it all just like you and the boys had done. That has to explain why they did so well. At that same time, you couldn't get over Hyunoh's voice. What has he been hiding? You felt slightly threatened, but that's okay. Taking in a deep breath, you just told yourself to get over it. BTS are going to kill it once they go on stage to perform DNA. It's going to be another catchy song that you know your classmates are going to ask the rappers to rap again just for them.

You were sweating all the way until BTS was announced to perform next. A wave of relief hit you when you heard some intense screams from a few people. Even if you looked around, it was too dark to spot the fangirls. Either way, you appreciate the support for BTS. It made you super happy they were earning some love even if it wasn't the entire audience rooting for them. There was still a fair amount of cheers for them. The members got into their formation and you were ready to see them execute it like they always had. Jungkook was in the center as the whistling began. Your heart was pumping as you cheered for your friends. Their stage was looking really good with all the flashing lights.

"_At first sight, I could recognize you__. As if we were calling for each other. The DNA in my blood vessels tell me that it's you I was looking all over for._" Taehyung started off. You were already feeling so much pride to see him all alone up on the stage. He was confidently moving, his face calm as he stared into the camera. Hoseok then came out rapping as the two sort of mirrored each other. Taehyung went off to the side as Hoseok handled it from there. As soon as Hoseok was finishing his rap, the hyungs were coming out to their dance formation. Hoseok and Namjoon high fived each other before Namjoon did his part. You giggled at their friendliness even on stage. After the hyungs finished their portion, Jungkook and Taehyung ran to center. Those two danced and sang confidently even with thousands of eyes watching them. They're young, but they handled it with so much ease that you could have cried.

It wasn't long before the rest of the members joined. Jimin ran in through his friends with his hyungs coming in from the side. You could hear the people around you impressed with how quick the choreography was. The musicality the members had was always astonishing. Something that you knew was a strong trait when it came to BTS. People were moving their heads along to the music. Jimin moved to the side as Jungkook took center to sing his part. People were in awe during the breakdown that you loved so much. Yoongi was then rapping with the others circling around him. He then passed off the rapping to Namjoon who was choregraphed to be perfectly centered in that moment. You were loving every second of this.

"_The DNA of the genesis wants you__. This is inevitable, I love us. We are the only true lovers!_" Namjoon winked as he held up a finger heart. Hell yeah!! You squealed, bouncing up and down as Jungkook danced through his hyungs. Namjoon and Hoseok popped out at the sides, following the same moves as the maknae until Yoongi began rapping. Jungkook and Yoongi stood next to each other with the others all in front of them. You could already see Jungkook's huge smile as Yoongi had his arm around the bunny. The bunny and tiger jumped forward for the end of Yoongi's rap. You giggled as Yoongi coolly had his hand out for Jungkook to high five. Then they all quickly turned their heads to Jimin centered in the back.

Seokjin separated from them to sing his part. You could already hear some fangirls for him. Next to sing was Jungkook and then Jimin. The music was building up for the most important part of the choreography. Hoseok was so proud of it. Hoseok danced a little bit in front before everyone circled around Jungkook. One by one, they grabbed each other's hands as Jungkook's head followed the flow of their arms. Gasps and awes were let out as you smiled at your boy group. Your favorite part then came up when the vocal line slowly shifted into one line. The little zoo were getting even taller so there wasn't such a drastic height difference between Seokjin and the kids. You hated to admit it, but the preteens were practically at eye level with you. It won't be long before they surpass you and you dreaded the thought. Jimin held his hand out as he popped with the camera mimicking his actions. YES!

Hoseok eventually took center again as they did the quick footwork. You bit your lip, remembering the time Hoseok fell during this part. His ankle got sprained. Stop. You shoved those bad thoughts away from your head. Hoseok was able to do his part powerfully with Jungkook singing alongside him. The boys shifted into one line as Hoseok tapped his arm facing the audience. Once BTS finished their performance of DNA, you screamed until your voice was hoarse. There was only one last group to go, but you were ready to vote for BTS. You already had a group chat coordinated with the other mothers. Though your Mom and Ms. Min haven't met the others, they were still rooting for their sons. Mrs. Park was in here after scolding Jimin for not telling her for so long. He thought she would be mad if she found out he was doing another style of dance besides what he learned at the studio. That wasn't the case at all.

So Mrs. Cha, Ms. Min, Ms. Jung, Mrs. Park, and even Ms. Jeon were in the group chat. They all got along well which made you super happy. Then it was kind of strange how well you did with talking to them. The only mom you didn't have in the group chat was Namjoon and Taehyung's mom. You didn't want to ask after Taehyung got emotional that one time. They weren't even aware the group chat existed in the first place. Ms. Jeon wasn't going to be added until Jungkook gave you her number. At first, you had to ask Seokjin if it was okay and he told you he would talk to his sister. Right away, Ms. Jeon wanted to be added so she could know what her son was up to besides always hearing it from her brother. Ms. Jeon was surprisingly sassy and got along with the other women. You were loving it as they all confirmed that they voted for BTS. Your Mom, Ms. Min, and Mrs. Park made sure to force their husbands to vote too.

It felt like you were holding in your breath again. There was pain in your chest as you waited for the results. The hosts were standing on the stage with large smiles with the eleven groups standing behind them. They were no longer as cramped and soon there would only be six on stage. Holding your hands into tight fists, you hoped and wished so hard that BTS won enough votes to get a high rank. They got second last time and you didn't want them falling any lower. They need to pass the third round and preferably beat D-Crunch's rank. The hosts opened their cards as all the groups behind them held their members tightly.

"First rank goes to...BTS!" The male host shouted. Did you hear that right? _First_? You felt lightheaded at the news. They got first! It was unbelievable as you watched your boys scream on stage. They were jumping up and down. Yoongi quickly tore himself away from the hug to receive the trophy. With every passing round, the trophy grew bigger and so did Yoongi's smile. Namjoon held Taehyung tightly in his arms, the two brothers whispering encouraging words to each other. Hoseok was wiping the tears away from Jimin's face. Seokjin and Jungkook were waving at the camera. Yoongi eventually joined them at waving by the time Jungkook shouted hello to his mom on live television. The female host found it adorable and you were in the same boat as her.

"Second rank goes to...D-Crunch!" The female host motioned towards the rival group. Though D-Crunch were staring at BTS nervously and with upset expressions, that quickly wiped away. Their eyes widened as they received their prize. They still went up one rank and got to advance to the fourth round with their rival group.

By now, you were already sneaking your way to the back. You could already hear the endless notifications arriving on your phone. The moms were losing it at their rank and so were you! Back on the stage, the boys waited for the rest of the ranks to be stated. Only six ranks this time and many groups were growing tense as only a few were called out. BTS made sure not to celebrate too hard out of respect and D-Crunch did the same. They stayed silent as the hosts did their job. Once all the ranks were listed, the audience was clapping for the winners. The ones who were unfortunate to lose bowed and walked off stage first. The six groups that got to advance stayed on as confetti shot up into the air, falling into the crowd and onto the stage.

"W-We did it, Hyung!" Jimin snuggled into Hoseok. "We're going to the final round!"

"Of course we are, Jiminie." Hoseok rubbed the boy's back. "We're going to win the final round for sure."

"We're keeping our number one rank and winning the bigger trophy no matter what!!" Yoongi hollered.

"That's quite the spirit." Seokjin chuckled.

"Samchon and I are going to practice even harder for the final round!" Jungkook bounced over to the other members. Seokjin knew he had no other choice, but he was enjoying this experience anyway. He felt something so special performing with not only his nephew but with his students. He didn't think he would form such a tight bond with people much younger than him.

"Hyung and I are going to do the same!" Taehyung nodded his head. Namjoon laughed, ruffling the blue hair on the puppy.

"I just hope I get the song already." Namjoon glanced at Hoseok. The popular boy scoffed playfully at the president. Before he could say anything, someone tapped Namjoon's shoulder. The boys turned to face their rival group. "Oh, hello there."

"Congratulations on getting first." Hyunwook looked the boys up and down. "This time."

"Exactly! This time!" Dylan seemed comforted by his hyung's words.

"I'm honestly a bit surprised, but fine." Sangchan shrugged. "We'll just work harder to beat you guys in the final round."

"I think I have to go harder..." Hyunoh muttered to himself, staring down at his stomach.

"None of you guys are going to be ready for what we have prepared!" Jeongseung snickered.

"Hey, keep your mouth quiet!" Chanyoung frowned.

"Don't worry, he didn't reveal anything." Hyunho placed his hand on Chanyoung's head. The eyes of the BTS's rappers shifted over to Hyunho. They stared at him until Minhyuk spoke up.

"We'll have first rank soon enough." Minhyuk grinned, proud of himself for sounding the slightest bit competitive. He really enjoyed the fact that it earned a couple scoffs from BTS.

"Better watch out, BTS." Hyunwoo smirked.

"I guess we'll just have to see about that next week." Namjoon brought his hand out. Sangchan took it, keeping a firm grip as he shook it. "See you in second place." Namjoon smirked as Sangchan's little grin turned into a frown. The rest of BTS held their heads up high that night as D-Crunch planned to make a point of being the biggest threat to the first ranked group.

(Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Jeongseung, Sangchan [O.V.], Chanyoung, Hyunwook, Hyunho,Hyunoh, Dylan, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk)


	57. Fanboy Reunion

Ch.57

Who won first rank? BTS! D*mn right they did! The adrenaline rush was still pumping through you. All the boys were celebrating loudly up until it was midnight. By then, most of them grew tired from a long day. Jungkook was the first to fall asleep back at Namjoon's house. The bunny cuddled with a pillow, saying he was just going to close his eyes for a second. It wasn't long before all of you heard his soft breathing and light snores. Seokjin found it adorable. That was his cue to take the bunny home though. Jimin was tired too and needed a ride back. While Jimin walked to Seokjin's car, the teacher carried the bunny's sleeping form to his vehicle. He didn't want to interrupt Jungkook's sleeping. Not that waking up the maknae was an easy task in the first place.

Seokjin offered to give Hoseok a ride, but the popular boy passed on it. He said he would be crashing with Namjoon. Hoseok can pretty much have sleepovers whenever he wants. Mainly because he doesn't tell his mom. Yoongi was dealing with a long call from his mother as she went on and on about the contest. Apparently, she's been telling her old coworkers about Yoongi being on tv. Ms. Min was extremely proud of Yoongi's performance of DNA and actually preferred it to the last one. She thought DNA was catchier and adored all of Yoongi's parts. Yoongi sat at the kitchen table, embarrassed as she called him her baby and stating how well he did.

You stayed behind, texting your Mom that you would be staying with your friends at Namjoon's place. She had it covered for you. There were a lot of missed calls and messages from Dad ever since he found out your friends were boys. All you texted him back was 'I love you' and that was it. Mom had Dad watch the contest with her. She said that he was impressed by your boys but had a small pout the entire time. He's handling this a lot better than you thought he would. Putting your phone away, you take a look around at the boys. Yoongi is still busy in the kitchen and Hoseok turned on the tv. He was lowering down the tv as you watched Namjoon bringing Taehyung up the stairs.

Out of curiosity, you followed the two brothers. The puppy rubbed his eyes tiredly, dragging his feet as he entered his room. Taehyung asked his brother a question, but it was hard to pick it out when he mumbled it. Namjoon shushed the boy, ushering him to his bed. Taehyung didn't have to question it at all. The tired puppy dropped his body onto his bed. Namjoon laughed to himself at his brother's sleepiness. Soon Namjoon was shaking his head as he pushed Taehyung further up in his bed so he could rest his head on a pillow. After that, Namjoon pulled a blanket over the puppy's curled up body. The eagle watched over his brother for a couple seconds before turning off the lights and walking out of the room. Instantly, he spotted you clutching your heart.

"You are just something else, (F/n)." Namjoon rolled his eyes. He placed his hand on your head, but you plucked it off. You didn't want him ruffling up your hair. Namjoon grinned as you tried to fight his hand.

"It was cute! You should have read him a bedtime story!" You used all your strength to keep his hand away from your hair.

"He's not five, (F/n)." Namjoon laughed. He slipped his hand away from your wrist and you thought he gave up. Instead, Namjoon pulled you into a hug. He snuggled his face into the crook of your neck. It tickled a lot when he let out a deep breath. "You know I can't thank you enough?"

"You worked hard too, Namjoonie." You squeezed him. "I just handled the business stuff."

"You got us these awesome clothes and direct our stages though!" Namjoon squeezed you harder.

"You write and p-produce!!" You attempted to hold him tighter. That was only cutting off your air so you weren't quite sure how this was working out for you. Namjoon laughed as he lightly released you. With your head now resting on his chest, you could feel it vibrating from his chuckles. "Kim Namjoon, you give me too much credit..."

"Because we're a team, Cha (F/n). We're a _family_." Namjoon picked you up. A gasp left your lips to suddenly feel the ground beneath you disappear. It would have been fine if Namjoon hadn't decided to carry you down the stairs. You didn't want to die! Clutching onto him tightly, you begged for him not to slip. Namjoon was confident though and you hoped that wouldn't be a mistake. Thankfully he reached the bottom safely and your legs were feeling like jelly. Namjoon decided to carry you into the living room. Hoseok raised his brows at the sight. You were carefully set down next to the golden boy before Namjoon took a seat next to you. That's when Yoongi walked into the room, his call with his mother finally over.

"Hoseok, what's up with your face?" Yoongi cocked up a brow.

"I was just suspicious..." Hoseok eyed you and Namjoon.

"Leave my girlfriend and I alone." Namjoon crossed his arms. Hoseok and Yoongi tensed up as you jumped onto your feet.

"He's lying!!" You shouted.

"Not when we're in the convenience store," Namjoon stated.

"That's different!" You whined. "That's for the discounts!!"

"I think you all forgot that (F/n) was _my_ girlfriend first." Yoongi growled.

"She became my girlfriend second! First the worst, second the best!" Hoseok childishly retorted. "And third the one with a hairy chest!" Hoseok pointed a finger to Namjoon who gasped, offended.

"Whatever..." You fell back onto the couch. "I'm sleeping over too by the way."

"Yay!" Hoseok hugged you. Namjoon chuckled as you playfully rolled your eyes.

"I'm staying too...but," Yoongi started. The three of you looked over at him in bewilderment. Did he not ask his mom for permission? "I think we should go to Midnight Measure for an hour or two."

"Midnight Measure? Really?" Hoseok glanced at the clock. It was a little past midnight, but that's when you guys would usually go. It's not like there's such a thing as arriving to Midnight Measure late. Namjoon glanced towards the stairs just in case. Taehyung was out like a light so you doubt the little puppy would notice the disappearance.

"It's not like we have school tomorrow, er, today?" Namjoon laughed to himself at his correction.

"It's been a while since we've gone!" You agreed. "I want to see the fanboys!!"

"Me too. That's the main reason I'm bringing this up." Yoongi smirked as he stood up. "I'm missing my hyungs. What kind of dongsaeng doesn't visit?"

"He's got a point." Hoseok grinned at the idea of seeing Jaegyu. Namjoon was already putting on a coat, excited to see Junsuh. Meanwhile Yoongi was missing his short hyung, Jinyo.

"Do you boys have enough money?" You asked to see them all nod. All of them were putting their coats on, heading towards the front door with high energy.

"Gotta lock the door first." Namjoon shut it with a smirk. "Alright, let's go."

Despite winning the first rank to an intense contest, the boys were acting as if nothing had changed. They were all still acting like a bunch of idiots the entire way to the bus stop. They were running and screaming at midnight. You were almost afraid that someone would come out to yell at you guys to shut up. People were trying to sleep right now while the boys were in the mood to keep rapping. They somehow still had some energy in them. The day was so long and demanding that you're surprised. At the same time, they always seemed ready to go to Midnight Measure anytime someone brought it up.

When the bus arrived, you guys all smiled at the bus driver. Just a couple teenagers going downtown past midnight. The driver sighed to see your familiar faces. He didn't bother asking questions or giving you guys glances through the rearview mirror. Whatever you guys did wasn't his problem anyway. He only had to drive you guys to your destination. The four of you were giggling nonstop at the back of the bus. Hoseok attempted to do freestyle but wasn't taking is seriously. It ended up being the strangest thing you heard. Namjoon was shaking his head and Yoongi had to cover his mouth so he wouldn't be too loud. Not many rappers do freestyles about pineapples.

Once the bus made it to the stop, you guys hopped off after thanking the driver. The bus drove away as all of you headed towards the familiar dark alley way. You didn't know you would miss the neon lights of Midnight Measure so much. Yoongi and Namjoon rushed down the stone steps. They were having the most trouble containing their excitement. Hoseok and you trailed behind as they entered the dark and warm building. Lots of people were already filling the space. It seemed to be open mic tonight. The MC was at the side of the stage as a rapper performed. Namjoon and Yoongi were already looking around for the fanboys. Hoseok jumped near them, stretching his neck out in hopes of spotting the fanboys.

They weren't anywhere obvious. It was starting to disappoint the boys while you told them to keep looking. They must be further around the area. The fanboys are practically always here. There's no way they skipped the night you and the rappers finally show up after weeks. That would only make you scream. The four of you went on a search that last for less than a minute. It turns out the fanboys were chilling in the backroom. They were talking to each other before Jinyo spotted Yoongi looking for him. All of you waved at them, seeing them all jump onto their feet. Jinyo ran like a bullet towards Yoongi who could barely get a word out to him.

"YOONGI!!!" Jinyo crushed the boy, happily jumping around.

"H-Hi hyung." Yoongi laughed as he patted the male's back. "Wait...are you crying?"

"No!"

"Hyung!" Namjoon walked over to Junsuh. The two shook hands which quickly transitioned into a short hug. Junsuh patted the blonde, his eyes silently asking how Namjoon has been. "We've been working hard constantly towards the contest. We actually have big news if you guys don't know yet!"

"Big news?" Jaegyu raised a brow, his body staying planted even when Hoseok lunged to hug him.

"You won't believe it, Hyung!" Hoseok squealed.

"Jinyo-ssi might want to sit down for this." You giggled as Jinyo pulled away from Yoongi. He wiped his face and excitedly sat down on a couch. He stared up at all of you with big eyes. Yoongi laughed, appreciating how supportive and eager his hyung was.

"Tell me! What is it?" Jinyo patted the sides next to him. Slowly, Jaegyu and Junsuh sat next to him. They smiled softly as the rest of you looked at each other knowingly. Jinyo was losing his patience, the curiosity killing him. They haven't had time to watch any of the performances. They were all left in the dark when it came to anything about the contest. Jinyo clutched onto Junsuh, begging for you guys to quit holding out on him.

"BTS ranked first!!" You all cheered. The eyes of the fanboy's widened in surprise. They quickly began jumping around in their seats, hugging each other.

"F*CK YEAH! I VOTED!!" Jaegyu screamed.

"Do you know how many phones I had to sneak on to just to vote for them!??" Jinyo continued holding onto Junsuh. "Glad to know it was worth it!"

"You guys voted?" Yoongi asked. He didn't think they were voting since they had no time to watch the performances.

"We work, but we find our ways." Junsuh smirked. He soon looked down at Jinyo, pushing the grown man off of him.

"No! He's going to—Junsuh—agh!" Jaegyu frowned as Jinyo latched onto the tattooed male. It was his nightmare. Jinyo was sobbing and Yoongi rushed to hug him.

"Hyung!" Yoongi laughed. Jinyo quickly hugged his favorite little rapper, telling the boy he's done so well in his life. Yoongi became quiet as he listened to his hyung's words. Suga meant a lot to Jinyo and he was okay with not seeing him at Midnight Measure every night. As long as Yoongi is happy and successful. He's finally accomplishing his dreams. He's doing much more than he ever would have expected. Jinyo continued to hold Yoongi tight, giving the young rapper advice for if they win the final round.

"Always stay humble, Yoongi-ya," Jinyo whispered. Yoongi nodded, mumbling it was weird to be called by his real name from him. He's so used to the fanboys only referring to him as Suga. Jinyo chuckled and pet the boy. "No one deserves this shot more than you."

"You hyungs are going to make us emotional." Hoseok pouted.

"Get over here!" Jaegyu laughed, opening up his arms. Hoseok rushed to hug him as Jaegyu told Hoseok that he was saving the idol industry just by dancing. Junsuh smiled as he looked over at Namjoon.

"Knowing your style, I'm sure you'll create music that will inspire others and affect them positively," Junsuh said. Namjoon couldn't help smiling. His dimples appeared as he stared down at his feet, embarrassed and honored at the same time.

"Thank you, Hyung." Namjoon bowed.

"Aw..." You quickly covered your mouth. Hopefully they didn't hear you. It wasn't so much of a problem if the fanboys did. It was just your friends. It's not your fault that you adore this kind of stuff. Seeing them bond and their friendship made you feel happy. It was true and pure. Even if Yoongi hadn't come in a long time, Jinyo was still happy to see him. The three fanboys were supporting the rappers even if they didn't rap on the same stage that they first knew them on. It was just stuff like this that you loved. Genuine friendship. It wasn't fake and no one owed anything.

The seven of you spent a while catching up with the fanboys. Compared to the rappers, you saw the fanboys when you asked them the favor of spreading the posters. It has still been a long time since you've seen them. You missed all of them a ton. Jinyo and Jaegyu occasionally bickering before Junsuh shuts them down with one intimidating threat. Jaegyu having hickeys on his neck and disgusting Jinyo who was too pure for this. Then lastly, Junsuh tolerating hugs from Jinyo because Jaegyu doesn't want to get cuddled by Jinyo in particular. You missed it all and it was clear that Yoongi missed it a bunch too. Namjoon and Hoseok were laughing along while you smiled brightly at it all.

That was until Jinyo asked if you were actually dating any of the rappers. Were Yoongi and you finally a thing? No. You were sorry to disappoint him, but Jinyo understood. He was still rooting for Yoongi to actually steal your heart. Jaegyu then admitted that he believed Hoseok had a chance. Hoseok looked happy to hear that while you felt the mood was getting ruined with this talk. You really didn't feel like worrying about boyfriends at one in the morning. Currently, your mind was sleep deprived and not willing to deal with this as patiently. Junsuh then joined in to your dismay, giving Namjoon a shot. The three rappers looked at you with smirks.

"What am I? A trophy?" You scoffed. Though you meant to sound a little defensive, it sounded like you were being sarcastic. Not really what you were going for. Your tone of voice didn't come out the way you wanted like it sometimes does. The rappers continued to smirk as they stared at you.

"My favorite trophy." Yoongi chuckled. "You'll have 'property of Min Yoongi' written on you and everything." You narrowed your eyes on him, trying to remind yourself that they were taking this as a joke. Even though you weren't a fan of this type of joking.

"(F/n) is actually going to be my trophy. I'll kiss her when we win too." Hoseok winked at you. Pursing your lips, you noticed that their hyungs were beginning to notice your upset expression. Your friends remained oblivious as they carried on with the joke.

"I actually think...the kiss might go to me." Namjoon smiled shyly to himself. "It'll be my prize for all my hard work."

Now you were getting pissed. Earlier he was telling you that you work hard too. He was thanking you and fighting that you deserved more credit. It just didn't sit well with you to hear them all saying that. They all bickered about who deserved the kiss more while you sat there. Silent. Did they forget you were in the same room as them? Or that you had feelings? Though you didn't want to be a downer and ruin the mood for them, you just weren't enjoying yourself as much anymore. The fanboys weren't laughing at the jokes the rappers were making. Instead their eyes were glued on you as they saw you stand up abruptly. Your friends finally turned to face you, confused on what you were doing.

"I just...I'm going to get some fresh air...is all." You shrugged. The boys stared at you quietly as you turned around. It took a lot out of you to not just snap at them. A large part of you wanted to shout about how you weren't going to kiss them as some prize. At the same time, you didn't want to get too angry over something they weren't taking seriously. As you left, you could hear the fanboys sigh heavily. Their faint voices telling the rapper's that their jokes weren't too tasteful whether they meant it or not. You'll just get some air, calm down, and come back. By then you'll be over it most likely.

Midnight Measure was super crowded tonight. It was almost hard to push your way through the crowd. There were a couple new faces to this place too. It was a bit surprising how that could happen so quickly. Suddenly this place has new regulars that you weren't aware of. You excused yourself as you slipped through. As you moved towards the door, you glanced to the rapper on stage. You froze in an instant to see their familiar face. Minhyuk? You didn't think you would be seeing a rival down here tonight. If he's here does that mean that another rival is here? Maybe Sangchan and Hyunho. You turn to bump into a male with white hair. Oh, it's Hyunho. Lee Hyunho. Wait.

"(F/n)." Hyunho smiled. The corners of his lips tugged upwards just the slightest bit. It was enough to make you almost forget where you were.

"H-Hyunho, what are you doing here?" You were sounding like an idiot. Get it together! Hyunho quietly pointed to his friend who was getting excited on stage.

"I came with Minhyukie. It's just us tonight," He explained. "What about you? You look kind of frustrated."

"Me?" You felt your heart was quickening up its pace. Were you really that easy to read? Hyunho only stared at you as a sigh left your lips. Looking over your shoulder, you figured you would want to leave before they caught you with their rival. Taking Hyunho's hand, you drag him out of Midnight Measure. Though his expression didn't hide his surprise and confusion, he never questioned your actions. He remained silent when you pulled him to the top of the stone steps. "Sorry for taking you out without warning..."

"It's fine." Hyunho assured you. He only tilted his head at you while you did your best not to act too paranoid.

"It's just...yes, okay. Something was bothering me and it's dumb." You heard yourself say only to get annoyed. "Agh! It's not dumb though! I'm actually upset even though I don't want to be!"

"What is it? If you don't mind me asking..." Hyunho kept his calm exterior. He leaned against the brick wall, waiting patiently for you to get your thoughts together. It was a little hard with him around. Anytime you looked at his face, you could feel your heart throb inside your chest. He didn't judge you thankfully. Hyunho only stared while you fidgeted with your fingers. You didn't want to make your friends sound like bad people because they weren't. You knew they weren't.

"I'm just upset at a joke they were making." You frowned. "They were just saying that I was a trophy and that they deserved a kiss as a prize for once they win the competition."

"Oh." Hyunho almost winced. It really didn't sound good at all.

"But they were only acting silly." You made sure to make that clear.

"I see." Hyunho nodded before his sharp eyes looked back into yours. "Well, then why are you mad? If you knew they were joking to begin with?"

"I...I guess I got mad because..." You bit your lip. It was embarrassing to admit the real reason. You were just too sensitive about any boyfriend talk. When the boys went around calling you their girlfriends, it didn't feel fun anymore. It was somehow making you feel worse. It's obvious how they feel towards you. Of course you wanted to have an answer for them, but you really didn't know how to sort out your feelings clearly. You've never really had true friends to love. Much less an actual romantic interest who liked you back. It was hard to tell sometimes whether they were friendly or flirty. "I don't really want them talking about me like that. They're my friends and I want to be the one to decide what they mean to me. I also personally would like it if they didn't act like I owed them a kiss, but maybe that's just me..."

"Your feelings are logical. I don't see the issue," Hyunho stated with a small shrug. You furrowed your brows at him, wondering if he was telling the truth. He noticed that and chuckled to himself. His eyes went down to the ground. "I'm sure if you told that to them that they would stop."

"Tell them?" You squeaked.

"Be honest," Hyunho said like it was no big deal.

"Oh, I think I'd rather be run over by a bus!" You laughed. "I really don't want to make this a big thing!"

"But if it bothers you then you should tell them," Hyunho replied. "If they don't know then they'll only do it again. You can't expect them to learn from their mistakes if you don't teach them."

"Right..." You sighed to yourself. Hyunho smiled at you again. The tiny one that always managed to make your heart flutter. It felt like there were butterflies in your stomach. The door to Midnight Measure opened and you automatically panicked. It was luckily a stranger. Though with the door wide open for a couple seconds, Hyunho overheard Minhyuk rapping dramatically. Hyunho furrowed his brows and began to laugh at his friend. He rarely ever laughed or made obvious expressions. You giggled to yourself, grinning to see Hyunho almost bending over in laughter. He couldn't wipe off the grin on his lips as he cleared his throat.

"Ah, sorry. It's just that Minhyuk sucks at freestyle." Hyunho laughed again.

"No worries." You laughed with him. Hyunho walked away from the wall with his precious smile. He went down a couple steps before looking over his shoulder to look at you.

"Are you coming?" Hyunho nudged his head towards the door. "It's cold out here and I'm sure your friends are confused."

"Yeah, I'm coming." You went down the steps with him. Before he opened the door, you thanked him for listening to you. Even though the two of you don't really get to talk too much to each other, this was nice. Hyunho acted like it was nothing. Biting your lip, you decided to go for it. Hug him! Your face was flushing as you wrapped your arms around the tall male. Is this actually happening? Your hot face was had an orange blaze against your skin. Hyunho didn't respond at first and you feared that you weirded him out. Just as you were about to pull away, Hyunho hugged you back gently.

"Make sure our rivals are ready for the final round." Hyunho rubbed your back before opening the door. The two of you stepped in as he waved at you. He was going to head towards the stage to stop Minhyuk from performing. The boy was doing aegyo to a bunch of underground rappers at the moment. "I wish you luck with your friends."

"Thank you so much again!" You bounced on your toes. Wow. Talking to him felt amazing. It finally felt like your crush on him was justified. It wasn't just based off random glances and short words that were exchanged between the two of you. It also felt nice to get some of your feelings out. Now you were ready to face them and you weren't feeling frustrated anymore. You actually felt a lot better, but you were still going to bring it up.

Right when you returned to the backroom, you were swarmed by your friends. The fanboys stayed seated on the couch. They all looked like proud parents as the boys asked how you were. It felt strange as they offered to do you little favors. Telling you to take a seat, wanting to know if you wanted water, but Hoseok was the first to crack. He apologized and bowed deeply to you. He realized that you haven't stated your feelings back to any of them. It must have been awkward and uncomfortable since you consider them all friends. Yoongi and Namjoon followed suit, bowing as they regretted their words. You could tell the three of them felt bad. Smiling at them, you couldn't help but laugh the second Yoongi said that he gave you permission to hit him.

"I'm not gonna hit any of you!" You shook your head. They slowly raised their heads, somehow confused. Were you ever a violent person? No. The most you did was make b*tchy remarks.

"Are you sure?" Hoseok frowned. "We kind of deserve it..."

"I'm ready." Namjoon scrunched up his face tightly. You rolled your eyes at them. Did they really want you to punch them? Well, this is the most you'll do. You grabbed Namjoon's ear and tugged on it. "Ah! F*ck!"

"You're forgiven," You said as he rubbed his ear.

"Make a line, Boys!" Jinyo shouted from the back. Hoseok scurried behind Yoongi just so he wouldn't go first. Yoongi grumbled under his breath but let you tug on his ear. He hissed as you kept in your laughter. Jaegyu was secretly recording this. Hoseok stepped forward, trembling until you tugged his ear.

"That hurt a lot more than I thought it would!" Hoseok pouted.

"It's because you're a baby who won't even get piercings!" Yoongi scoffed.

"It's a d*mn shame too." Jaegyu shook his head. He lowered the phone to show his smirk. "If you ever change your mind, Hoseok, come to my shop. I can give you six in one day with a discount."

"S-Six!?" Hoseok swallowed hard.

"Hey! What are you recording!?" Yoongi stormed over to him.

"Did he record us getting our ears pulled?" Namjoon muttered.

"Man..." Hoseok frowned.

"It's what you boys deserve!" Jinyo jumped onto his feet. Yoongi frowned as he watched his hyung walk over to a box. No one said anything until Jinyo took the item inside of it out. A shirt became unfolded as he pressed it close to his chest. On it was a large photo of Yoongi's face. The delinquent paled at the sight, horrified. You gasped while Namjoon and Hoseok held back their laughter. Jaegyu and Junsuh excitedly rushed over, asking for their own shirts. Yoongi stumbled over to them as if he was going to faint. All three of the fanboys slipped on the shirts and smiled at Yoongi.

"The f*ck is this!?" Yoongi shouted.

"This is for Suga!" Jinyo cheered.

"I want a shirt!" You raised your hand up. Namjoon and Hoseok began to beg for their own shirts too. Jinyo was thrilled at the orders while Yoongi looked ready to choke all of you. The three of you giggled together, ignoring Yoongi's glare. Already, you were feeling happy to be with them again.

"We're making sure his legacy continues underground too." Jaegyu nodded to himself. "We need people to understand that you're a true rapper no matter what you do."

"What does that even mean?" Yoongi crossed his arms, tempted to burn those shirts in a fire.

"It means we'll fight anyone who says that you becoming an idol means you're betraying hip hop." Jinyo fumed. "Like hell you are."

"...t-they're saying that?" Yoongi frowned. Namjoon scoffed at what he had just heard. He mumbled under his breath about how stupid he thought that was. Hoseok wasn't a fan of hearing that either though it didn't hurt him as much as Namjoon and Yoongi who used to feel so openly accepted in the underground rap scene.

"But don't worry, they're not saying that anymore." Jaegyu cracked his knuckles before putting his hands behind his back.

"Jaegyu left them with broken jaws," Junsuh stated.

"Jaegyu should be in prison," Jinyo added. Jaegyu growled at them for exposing him like this. Yoongi laughed at the reveal with the rest of you knowing that sounded like something he would do. Though with permission from Jinyo and super vision from Junsuh. Those two certainly weren't innocent themselves. They always worked together and were on the same page no matter what. "But he helped us keep peace at Midnight Measure, so I guess that's fine."

"You hyungs are f*cking ridiculous." Yoongi smiled at them. They only grinned in return before Yoongi rushed to hug them all. They held each other tightly and soon motioned the rest of you to join in. Any friend of Yoongi was a friend of theirs after all. Then after time, you guys got close with them too. You're so happy that they'll be able to be there to watch the final round with you. They'll get to see what BTS is capable of and hopefully see them win the contest. BTS can do it.  
  



	58. Detention

Ch.58

Returning to school wasn't an experience you were entirely prepared for. The boys and you expected to get around the same number of people flooding you guys. Nope. It was a lot worse than you expected. This time people were actually playing DNA through the halls. It didn't feel great though. None of the rappers were holding their heads up and considering this a victory. It's not like everyone was suddenly accepting the boys because they managed to create a catchy song. That just wasn't realistic. Instead, a majority of the students were interested in the fame that the boys had garnered from participating in the contest. It was something that intrigued those who typically made fun of you and your friends. There was still a good majority who didn't care.

It was just harder to remain unnoticed. Even those who didn't care recognized you guys and turned their heads when they saw the four of you walk by. Yoongi told you guys to ignore the people who were rude to you guys since the beginning. Those people were the same ones who were suddenly complimenting the music of BTS and claiming they were fans. Namjoon was annoyed by them the most. Glaring at them until they stuttered out their compliments in front of him. They couldn't even say their lies while staring into his eyes. All they wanted was to get a picture with the boys before they got to be super famous. Some of them wanted to ride off their fame by taking secret photos of the rappers. Something to put on social media for them to get attention. Basically to get people jealous that they're going to school with Hoseok, Namjoon, and Yoongi.

It's a good thing that your rappers weren't putting up with it. They had to remain respectful though. It's not like they could suddenly snap at their classmates. It wasn't easy like that anymore. Yoongi couldn't shove them away anymore. Namjoon couldn't use his authority too much to get them to leave. Hoseok had to stay smiling even when he heard things he didn't like. The three of them were in the spotlight now. If they got a bad rumor attached onto them, it could ruin a lot of things. Especially if it was based off facts. That was the harsh reality of the situation. BTS had to be careful now that they were slowly reaching celebrity status. Seokjin also had to tell the boys that he couldn't get too involved. A student already filed a complaint of favoritism against him. His hands were tied and Principal Yoo couldn't do much. All he said was for you guys to act responsibly and make it through one more week of school.

It wasn't going to be easy. Yoongi's patience was running extremely thin. Every day he admitted how much he wanted to punch people in the face. Namjoon was sort of beginning to feel that. He couldn't stand how many people were asking him to rap. Out of all the boys, Namjoon received the most frustrating behavior from others. Some students questioning if he should be the face of the school or not. Student assuming since he raps that he can't have the best grades after all. He must have cheated or something in their eyes. They're clearly idiots. It all gets under Namjoon's skin due to the fact that he used to obsess over school so much and let it take over him.

"The amount of people who don't know how to whisper makes me want to rip my hair out." Namjoon sighed, his grip tightening on his backpack strap.

"The amount of people who don't know how to keep their mouth shut makes me want to rip my hair out," Yoongi grumbled. The four of you were walking down the halls together. The bell rang earlier so everyone was rushing to the cafeteria for lunch. All of you knew better than to head to the cafeteria. That place will only get you guys mobbed. That's why you make lunches for you and the boys. They don't have to enter the lunch line that way. The four of you just made sure to eat outside. Just to an area without any windows for people to take a sneak peek of the next dance the boys will be performing. If they want to see Fake Love then they'll have to wait for Saturday to see the live recording.

"Let's all just take in a deep breath." Hoseok smiled at them. A large part of you felt bad for the popular boy. Everyone knew him as the positive one. The one who always smiled and helped lift the others up. It must be getting tiring for him. He's only human after all. "It's only Tuesday! We got this! And guess what? After Friday, we don't have to come back here for an entire week! Spring break, guys!!"

"That's true!" You tried to add to the positivity. "Plus, only one month of school after that before summer break. Then we'll become second years!"

"I hate this hell hole." Yoongi set down his bag against a wall. The four of you had arrived to the spot. It was private and secluded. The perfect place to practice the choreography without worrying about other students coming by without them making it obvious.

"Even when I forced myself to focus on my studies, at least I liked school." Namjoon dropped his own things on the floor. "Not anymore."

"Guys, can we please not focus on the bad stuff?" Hoseok frowned. He rushed to them, worried and stressed about his members. "We should put all our energy on our performance. Let's not waste it on our classmates! We have a legit chance at winning the competition and I'm scared we'll lose it if we slow down because of this!"

"...Hoseok's right." Namjoon scratched the back of his neck. He pursed his lips before giving the orange hair an apologetic look. He soon stretched out his hand towards Hoseok. "I'm sorry for affecting the team like this. I should really be helping you keep the team up as leader."

"It's all good, Joonie!!" Hoseok tugged the president into a hug. Namjoon let out a chuckle, melting into the hug easily.

"I'm still angry, but fine." Yoongi took a bite of his sandwich.

"You always are." You giggled. Yoongi nodded and shrugged to your words. He knew you were only teasing him. Rubbing Yoongi's back, you were crouched down next to him on the ground. Namjoon was awkwardly requesting to be let go of by Hoseok so he can eat his lunch already. Hoseok wanted to appreciate the moment for a little longer. Yoongi decided to save Namjoon by throwing a purple grapes at them. Hoseok whined and finally left Namjoon alone so they could eat their food.

They had to practice Fake Love after all. You were happy to know it was a darker concept from DNA and noticed how complex the choreography was. It wasn't as fast as DNA, but it definitely required a lot of technique. Hoseok was spending most of his time trying to help teach the boys how to pop. Jimin was the first one who had popping down and soon Jungkook caught on. He couldn't stand the idea of Jimin knowing something he didn't. The young ones were having an easier time training their body to dance this way. Their hyungs who weren't Hoseok struggled, but they were getting the hang out it. You ate your food with them before Hoseok jumped onto his feet with stuffed cheeks.

"Okay, time to dance!" Hoseok clapped his hands.

"Chew your food, Hoseokie." You reminded him. Hoseok blushed and made sure to swallow his food. Speaking with his mouth full made it a little hard to understand him. Grabbing a napkin, you handed it to him so he could clean up all the crumbs on his face.

"I'm not ready, but okay!" Namjoon shouted as he stretched his arm over his chest. He was on his feet quicker than Yoongi. The delinquent was taking his time to drink his juice box. The two boys soon looked over at Yoongi.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm getting up." Yoongi assured them. They stared at him silently as he continued to sip his juice, sitting on the floor.

"Yoongi." Hoseok smiled. It wasn't the one that reminded you of sunshine though. It looked like if Yoongi didn't take dancing seriously, he would get burned.

"Will you look at that? My juice box is empty." Yoongi got up. He didn't have to be threatened more than once. Namjoon bounced, clapping his hands together like an adorable child.

"You have the music ready, (F/n)?" Namjoon asked.

"You know it." You smirked, holding up your phone. Hoseok gave you a thumbs up as he got the two rappers into position. He first wanted to review the entire dance choreography with them. You held off on the music.

For now, you pulled out your laptop to check your emails. There was some that you needed to look over carefully from Soar Entertainment. The newest email was just sent earlier today. As your eyes scanned down the email, you bit your lip. Soar Entertainment was requesting for each of the six groups to sign up for a certain time slot to record a song. They wanted the groups to sing a song that they weren't going to perform at the contest. With this song, they would promote it and help gain more fans for groups and hopefully get more viewers for the final round. You glanced up at the boys as they did a full run though without music. The boys had plenty of songs prepared together so you knew you didn't have to be nervous about that. It's just that anytime BTS came out with a song, the students at the school practically lost it.

You helped play the demo music for the rappers as they rehearsed over and over again. You were going to bring it up once there was only five minutes of lunch left. Since you were their manager, you took the liberty of signing them up for the Wednesday slot. It would take place at five just like last time when they had that interview. Lunch soon came to an end when you explained the email to all of them. They drank their water as they listened in. The three rappers furrowed their brows as they stared at each other. Namjoon nodded to your words as he capped his drink. Closing your laptop, you listened to Namjoon discussing some of the songs they didn't perform at the mini concert. The boys stayed silent for a while before knowing which song they wanted to record.

No More Dream.

It was settled. The boys already had the lyrics written, the music produced, and only needed to have it professionally recorded at the company. That wouldn't be too hard. Hoseok was excited at the thought of professionally recording at an entertainment company. It made him feel like his dreams were so close. Namjoon and Yoongi had to admit that they were thrilled at the idea too. You sent a long message through the group chat just so the little zoo and Seokjin would know. Tomorrow at five, all seven boys will be recording No More Dream. The company will clean it up and release it as soon as they can. Hopefully the company doesn't say anything about the lyrics. It was just something that the boys figured should be said by young people themselves.

The four of you carried on with the school day. Just one class left before you guys can go back to Namjoon's place. Though you wanted to stay as bright as Hoseok, school was draining your energy. A lot more than being a manager does. At least time picked up the pace and you went to the Kim household with the boys to prepare for the final round. Seokjin was left aware of the recording, texting you guys a car emoji since he knew he was the only way you guys could get to the company in the first place. Either way, everyone was given notice about their schedule. All you and the rappers had to do was tolerate Wednesday which really wasn't better than the other days.

Thankfully the school day passed. It felt like it took forever, but it passed. BTS practiced Fake Love a couple times before getting ready to record. The eight of you crammed into Seokjin's car as usual. He drove all the way to the company where security had already been informed that you guys were coming. The little zoo loved that their faces were recognized already by security. It made them feel important. As all of you went up to the receptionist desk, a Soar staff employee was already waiting for you guys. She only needed the eight of you to follow her. Everyone was in awe by the time she brought all of you into a recording booth. One by one, the boys would record their takes and do some together.

"This is so cool." Hoseok looked around.

"So this is how a recording booth looks like?" Yoongi wanted to touch the control board. He was staring at it intently, tempted to mess around.

"Who's recording first?" Jungkook was already standing near the door to record. Inside was a small room with a microphone stand. The walls were lined with grey soundproof foam. Taehyung and Jimin peeked inside through the clear door.

"Oooh! I want to!" Jimin smiled.

"Are we famous, Hyung?" Taehyung turned to Namjoon.

"Something like that." Namjoon ruffled his blue hair.

"If we were famous, people at school would actually recognize me." Seokjin huffed. He was still bitter at the fact that students as Sehwang didn't think Seokjin was the one dancing with BTS despite the same purple hair. Seokjin mumbled under his breath that it's the same person. It's best if they remain clueless.

"I suggest Namjoon-ssi goes in first." The staff sat down in their chair.

"You got this, Leader." You patted the tall male's back. Namjoon's dimples appeared as he entered the small room.

Namjoon first started recording the pre-hook with a low voice. It almost sounded like he was growling. They all recorded their portions. After a while, the song was recorded together completely. The boys sat down as they listened to it. Namjoon and Yoongi had the most to say. If they didn't like how a certain thing sounded, they spoke out. They did so until the song was finally how they wanted it. It sounded pretty great to you. Seokjin was pretty quiet throughout most of the process. He looked like he was staring off into space. Maybe because of the content of the lyrics. They possibly conflicted with some of his thoughts as a teacher, but you doubt Seokjin would let it bug him for long. Besides the song isn't only trashing on the idea of school. Just the pressures students feel and being told to forget their dreams if they don't follow what society sees as a respectable job.

The song is incredibly personal to the boys. You're just glad that all of you left Soar Entertainment feeling good about the song. It sounded really nice with some old school vibes to it. Everyone was smiling the drive back to Namjoon's house. The boys continued to practice for Fake Love nonstop until it was too dark out. Everyone called it a night and you went home, not realizing that the company released the song that night. While you slept, that song was spreading with the company's constant promotion and advertisement ties. The next morning you went to school without a clue on what happened with the song. You didn't know it would spread through Sehwang Academy so easily.

"Are we supposed to get used to the stares?" Hoseok mumbled.

"They're staring more than usual," Yoongi stated. The four of you were walking down the halls once again together. This time it felt like the hallway was crowded. As if the walls were tight on you guys with so many students staring back at you four. Something felt off about this time though.

"Don't you just love how we can't go to class peacefully anymore?" Namjoon sighed.

"We just have to deal with today then tomorrow is tech..." You said and slowly trailed off once you heard familiar music playing. The boys paused in their steps too. Someone was playing No More Dream in the halls. The music was growing louder as they turned up the volume. All of you looked for the source of the music. Yoongi huffed as he stormed to someone who was holding up their phone with a smirk. The familiar lyrics were flooding through the halls, making the members uncomfortable.

"Turn that off." Yoongi growled.

"But it's your music!" Kijung chuckled. He pushed past Yoongi, walking over to Namjoon with a smirk. Hoseok put his hand on the president in hopes of calming him down. "Wow, Namjoon. I didn't know you felt this way about school."

"You're not even listening to the song properly." Namjoon huffed.

"I think I am!" Kijung chuckled. "While I heard this song, I decided to do some research around your group and the contest. I never got to congratulate you for winning first rank on the third round."

"Thank you!" Hoseok laughed awkwardly, hoping to push Namjoon forward. He really hoped a fight wouldn't break out. Yoongi was standing behind Kijung, glaring at him shamelessly.

"I found it funny. Aren't you used to always being ranked first?" Kijung spoke bitterly.

"We worked hard—" Namjoon gritted his teeth. He was doing his best to keep calm, but Yoongi was losing it.

"Leave us alone! We need to get to class!" Yoongi did his best not to shove Kijung to the side. He grabbed Namjoon, forcing the boy to keep walking forward.

"Yeah, you should get to class too," You said. Kijung only rolled his eyes at you, uninterested in what you had to say. He ignored you as he followed the two rappers with the music still playing. "Kijung-ssi, really. Stop playing the music already—"

"_F*ck off._" Kijung hissed as he pushed you back. He kept following Namjoon and Yoongi who didn't hear him or witness what he did. That annoying @sshole! You scowled, ready to chew him out for being such a douche bag. Hoseok frowned at what he had seen and started following Kijung.

"Dude, you didn't have to do that!" Hoseok complained.

"You have no manners, Kijung! Stop annoying the hell out of students around you and get lost when people tell you to!" You shouted, storming after them. Namjoon and Yoongi stopped walking away to hear you yelling at their classmate. Kijung only ignored the both of you as he stared at Yoongi with a smirk.

"I heard at the beginning of the contest that police were looking for the boy who had been harassed by the homeless man. They said pink hair, but maybe it was red hair." Kijung grinned at the delinquent. Yoongi scoffed, shaking his head at the nonsense he was hearing.

"We're done talking to you." Yoongi turned around.

"Come on, guys! We don't want to be late." Namjoon called out to you and Hoseok. If you could, you would have spent a little more time yelling at Kijung.

"Fine. Let's go, Hoseok." You huffed, pounding your feet on the ground. Kijung wasn't done, only amused by the reactions he was getting.

"Or what? Maybe it was the small boy with actual pink hair in BTS." Kijung laughed, getting on your nerves. "Maybe the one who got attacked was Jimin—"

Kijung's voice was caught in his throat the second he was thrown against the lockers. Students gasped, moving away from the scene. The hall that felt so crowded was slowly becoming empty. You and your friends stared in shock at the sight. Though it was angering all of you, you expected everyone to just ignore it. Kijung was pressed roughly against the locker, getting yelled at and treated poorly. Not that he deserved to be treated with kindness at the moment. All of you became quiet in the hall as one of the rapper's officially lost their temper with Kijung the second they heard one of the kid's names leave Kijung's lips. That crossed the line, especially with the sensitive topic he was talking about.

"_Shut the _hell_ up! Don't you f*cking dare talk about something you don't know _sh*t_ about!_" Hoseok pulled Kijung from the locker only to ram the boy's body back into the metal. Kijung's head banged against it, scowling at Hoseok through the pain. "_I never want to hear that name leave your disgusting f*cking mouth. _Do you understand? _You don't know anything about my boys so don't go around spreading rumors or else, I swear to God that I will _**kill**_ you._"

"Hoseokie." You squeaked. Hoseok was panting angrily, refusing to let go of Kijung who was squirming around.

"Hoseok, let him go." Yoongi sighed.

"No!" Hoseok shouted.

"Hoseok, please. Drop him!" Namjoon was more stern.

"Did you not hear him!? H-He f*cking—" Hoseok's voice was wavering with emotion.

"Jung Hoseok. Let him go." A voice appeared in the hallway. You already knew they were standing there along with Namjoon and Yoongi. They entered the hallway, dragged in by a student. Hoseok froze and reluctantly released Kijung. Hoseok stepped away as he met eyes with Mr. Kim. "Hoseok, you have detention after school."

"Mr. Kim, you can't—" Hoseok scoffed in disbelief.

"I saw you with my own eyes, Hoseok." Mr. Kim frowned. You could tell in his eyes that he hated doing this. Hoseok pursed his lips as he looked over at Kijung. The male tried walking away until Mr. Kim grabbed him. "You're not in the clear either for continuously harassing students."

"W-What? But he literally threw me—!" Kijung complained.

"I will call Principal Yoo to handle you," Mr. Kim said in a low tone. Kijung swallowed hard at the teacher who had finally reached his limits. Mr. Kim had enough at this point.

The little ones had to be texted that no one would be home when they arrive. Detention lasts an hour after school. Though it was only assigned to Hoseok, the rest of you were planning on joining him. All of you wanted to do the same thing to Kijung. Did that count? Namjoon only told the zoo that they needed to handle school related things. He didn't want to alarm them with the word detention or have to explain why Hoseok lost it to Jimin. It's best if they don't know. Right now, the only one you guys needed to face was Mr. Kim. The four of you walked to his classroom together after school.

No one said a thing the entire way there. Hoseok had a tired expression with his hands in his pockets. The rest of you were walking behind him a little worried. The bubbly popular boy was exhausted and just wanted to focus on the contest. Things weren't quite working out that way. None of you were too worried about Kijung saying anything about the fight. Principal Yoo told Yoongi that there would be consequences against Kijung if he did that. The school would see that as cyber bullying, so it was in Kijung's best interest to leave all of you alone and keep his mouth shut about the events if intends to stay at Sehwang Academy.

The four of you made it to Mr. Kim's classroom, the door already open. Hoseok was the first to walk in quietly. Mr. Kim was waiting with his arms crossed as he leaned against his desk. He opened his mouth until he noticed the rest of you step inside. He frowned and shook his head at you guys. While Hoseok took a seat, the rest of you began taking your own. Seokjin stared at the four of you in shock. The only one called for detention was Hoseok. The rest of you might have yelled back at Kijung, but Seokjin didn't get to properly witness that.

"What are you three doing here?" Mr. Kim sighed. He eyed everyone, but Hoseok intensely. "Get out. Only Hoseok is supposed to be here."

"You said it yourself, Mr. Kim. Wherever one of us goes, the others follow." Namjoon smiled. "We're practically inseparable."

"I was ready to punch Kijung myself," Yoongi admitted. "That's why I'm here."

"But you didn't." Mr. Kim pointed.

"I still could," Yoongi retorted.

"Please don't."

"Listen, Mr. Kim." You took in a deep breath. "It's just an hour. We'll stay here with Hoseok and..." It was hard to continue with your words. Mr. Kim had Hoseok in detention for his actions. He didn't feel like Seokjin right now. It felt strange even mentioning the contest up to him again. All you wanted to say was that after this is over for all of you to just head back to Namjoon's house and practice Fake Love. Nothing left your mouth though. The room grew quiet and even Mr. Kim had his eyes on the ground.

"Are you mad at me?" Hoseok spoke. Heads turned in Hoseok's direction. The orange hair stared at Mr. Kim with sad eyes. The teacher sighed at his student, melting the tough exterior away.

"I'm...feeling a lot of things, Hoseok," Seokjin said. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. Seokjin paced at the front of the class before giving up on trying to sound like an adult figure. "I-I-I'm honestly so f*cking pissed! Disappointed! Not at you, but at the students at this school!" Seokjin shouted, making some of you flinch in your seats. "It's so annoying how the school faculty can barely do anything to protect you guys! I swear, I want to believe my students are the best! But now that I've become closer with you guys, I see how messed up some students are and i-it enrages me!"

"Mr. Kim." Yoongi weakly smiled.

"If I were a teenager again, I would have done the same as Hoseok! He has no place to talk about things like that and yet all I can do is give detention!" Seokjin growled. "I already have a favoritism complaint filed against me, but you know what? It's not my f*cking fault that so many of the kids here are targeting you guys for no reason!! It makes no sense! I try to talk to staff here, but they're so blind to it because all they focus on are grades and scores! They don't pay attention on the person behind the student and that makes me want to scream!"

"Mr. Kim." Namjoon looked at the teacher.

"The only person I can talk to is Principal Yoo and that used to feel strange, but not anymore. He knows the truth thanks to Yoongi! This whole contest is showing the nastiness in our students and their behavior is disgusting!" Seokjin shivered. "Seriously, I don't understand how you guys going after your dreams is the worst thing in the world. Are they that jealous or something!? You four apparently stand out to them and the second you guys decided to go a little more outside of the box, they lose their f*cking marbles!!"

"Mr. Kim." You nervously hoped he would lower his voice.

"Screw detention! It's so annoying how that's all I can do. I feel so useless as a teacher who wants to help! I can't change their minds or prevent them from hurting all of you forever and that pains me so much when all of you are so amazing. You all make work so much more fun!" Seokjin frowned. "I never thought I would get so close to students in my first year of teaching. I thought I would get so much crap and instead I feel like I have a family with you guys. The other day, Kookie told me that I was a great teacher for being a good adult and he wouldn't say anything more despite me begging and almost dragging him out of his bed!"

"Mr. Kim." Hoseok sighed.

"I really wanted to hear more from him! I pulled Kookie out of bed, but he was screaming a lot so my Noona came up and started yelling at me to leave her son alone. That's when I told her that I was adopting Jungkook just so I could have this conversation." Seokjin groaned. "You know, it's been years since I've wrestled with my Noona, but she still has it in her. She beat me and the worst part was that Jungkook was there to watch. I heard that it isn't a good thing when a young boy sees their strong male role model get beaten up. I'm worried that once Jungkook gets older, he's going to try and beat me up or something. He already threatened to throw me in the sun so maybe it's starting now."

"MR. KIM!!!" The four of you screamed. Seokjin jumped into the air, shocked at the loud voices yelling at him. It had to happen. He went from ranting about the school and students to Jungkook and his older sister. Things got weird and he didn't even realize it.

"You really like to overshare, don't you?" Yoongi chuckled.

"At least we know that Ms. Jeon is good at wrestling." You shrugged.

"Yeah, Jungkook is gonna have no respect for you growing up." Namjoon sighed. Seokjin frowned at the news.

"Unless you fight him now!" Hoseok pointed out. "But you have to win. That's how you get a growing boy's respect."

"...did you guys fight your Dad's or something?" Seokjin joked. All three males awkwardly laughed, unwilling to admit the truth. You already knew these boys didn't have their fathers as prominent figures in their lives. Seokjin almost forgot and his eyes widened at his mistake. "Ah, let's get out of here already!"

"Seriously?" You raised a brow.

"I'm the teacher, aren't I?" Seokjin smirked as he grabbed his coat.

"This is abuse of power and I love it." Yoongi jumped onto his feet. Seokjin quickly grabbed the delinquent, ruffling his hair up and hugging him. Yoongi squealed quietly as the rest of you laughed.

Thursday didn't go how you guys would have wanted it, but it still ended well. Despite the teasing of the song No More Dream, it was getting a lot of good responses online. Lots of people were discussing the lyrics. A lot of the younger generation enjoyed it and that was a majority of the viewers and voters anyway. It seemed like a success! BTS was gaining more fans and the boys were working harder as they rehearsed Fake Love. They needed to be ready for tech rehearsal tomorrow after all. The boys danced until their bodies were aching. Their legs heavy, their feet burning against their shoes, and their lungs begging for rest. All of them were sweating heavily as you told them to take a break.

It was a little hard to get them to listen to you. Mainly because of how hard Fake Love is. DNA almost killed them and they couldn't let Fake Love look sloppy in the slightest. One of the biggest compliments they earned was best performance out of all the groups. It was something that BTS was going to hold on to. Hoseok was beaming as he reviewed nonstop with the group. By the time it was the day of tech, the boys were sore and ready. They all had sore relief patches but were pushing through. You felt bad and told them that they were resting immediately after they finish tech. All of them rolled their eyes, but you were serious. These boys sometimes. They really love testing you, don't they?

They were on stage slowly going through the dance. You had already told the lighting assistants what you wanted for the Fake Love stage. As the boys go on, you want a dark stage and thunder sounds playing before anything else! The boys will get into position with fog already on the stage. The boys will begin to perform the song with the main stage colors being blue, purple, and white. This time you let the lighting assistants play with their stage. You knew their performance would be the most eye catching. Before the boys went on stage, you had a brief conversation with them on the outfits you bought for them.

"Oh and before you guys go on stage, I just want to tell you about the clothes you'll be wearing for Fake Love," You started. They all started at you with big eyes, slightly impatient. "Leather and harnesses. Alright, go rehearse."

They had a lot of questions that you just couldn't answer. It wasn't just because you ran away laughing either. You ignored their screams and calls for you to come back. Where's the fun in that? The boys all looked at Namjoon who was just as confused as them. While they rehearsed on the main stage, you went to the back of the stage to get a water bottle. It was a little hot today now that it was spring with summer quickly coming on its way. As you grabbed a water bottle you, saw D-Crunch trying to secretly watch you in the distance. It clearly wasn't working. You laughed before taking a sip of your water. The nine boys gave up and decided to 'reveal' themselves.

"(F/n) Noona! What a surprise!" Sangchan shouted.

"I think she already spotted us." Hyunoh smiled.

"Yeah, she did. She literally laughed at us." Hyunwook crossed his arms.

"It's the thought that counts." Minhyuk pointed out.

"You're making it sound like stalking is affectionate." Hyunwoo chuckled.

"We were spying!" Jeongseung complained.

"That doesn't make it any less creepy on our part." Chanyoung sighed.

"But we did stalk them for a while in the beginning," Dylan stated.

"We're not innocent." Hyunho agreed.

"Anyway!! We heard No More Dream, Noona." Sangchan ignored his friends. "The song...it's really good."

"You should tell them that." You giggled to see him turn bright pink.

"N-No! I'm their rival, I can't do that!" Sangchan huffed. You playfully rolled your eyes at him, but if he insists then fine. What a shame!

"Well, what song did you boys release?" You pulled out your phone.

"Are you going to listen to it?" Hyunoh's eyes widened in joy.

"Of course." You were ready to search it up.

"It's called Love Race!" Dylan grinned.

"Hope you like it, Noona!" Jeongseung clapped his hands.

"We were going to do that song for the final, but we decided to do a catchier song," Chanyoung admitted.

"Don't reveal our secrets!" Hyunwook hissed.

"You need to relax, Old man." Hyunwoo rolled his eyes. Hyunwook took a step towards the boy with glasses until Minhyuk squeezed his way between them.

"No fighting, please!" Minhyuk pleaded.

"I found the song!" You took out your headphones to see them all lighten up. "I'll go listen to this, but I'll see you boys around then."

"Hope you enjoy it." Hyunho smiled. Holding your phone tightly to your chest, you bowed lightly to them while they all shouted 'bye!' and bowed deeply. They're all so sweet. Idiotic, but sweet.

You enjoyed the song and left them a good review online. A part of you hoped they would see it. Tech only continued for another hour before BTS finished. Their stage had been perfected and staff released you guys to do your own thing. Instead of celebrating with food, you ordered all the boys to go rest. Whatever that means for them. Whether that meant sleeping, watching a movie, reading a book, or anything that didn't require physical energy. The boys whined but they weren't going to fight you on it. Not even Seokjin. You gave the teacher a stern look and he listened. On the car ride back home, Hoseok told Namjoon that he sent the song and lyrics to him. That meant Namjoon could finally fix the part he's supposed to rap. So far, it was repeated lyrics Yoongi wrote as a temporary fill in and it made Namjoon want to scream.

Hearing this news had Namjoon smiling from ear to ear. He couldn't wait to write the lyrics and fix Fake Love completely. Yoongi complained that Hoseok took too long. The contest is literally tomorrow. While Yoongi complained about Hoseok's procrastination, Namjoon stared out the window happily. Taehyung smiled as he cuddled into his brother the ride back. Seokjin dropped everyone off at their own homes. There wasn't going to be a sleepover this time since you knew they would attempt to find a way to practice one more time. Though practice made perfect, they were overworking themselves. It wasn't healthy and resting wasn't going to hurt them when the dance looked so good already.

Mom and Dad were watching a movie by the time you arrived home. You talked to them for a while before going into your bedroom. Despite not dancing for hours, you still felt mentally exhausted. This week has been one of the longest weeks you've ever had to deal with. The amount of patience you had to have with your classmates was way too much. You eventually napped for about an hour until your phone woke you up. Someone was texting you. Lazily grabbing your phone, you opened it to see that Namjoon was sending you messages. Namjoon has been trying to work on the song when he admitted that he had no inspiration for the lyrics.

"What?" You sat up nervously. Namjoon continued to send you messages, asking if you could come over. He was nervous that he wouldn't have anything to send back to Yoongi. He needed inspiration. He wanted you to come over.

**Namjoon** 🦅

**Namjoon **🦅

(F/n), I'm so sorry for interrupting your

Resting time like this. I wish I didn't have

To be sending you these messages. I'm

Really worried that I'm going to screw up

And nothing is coming into my mind when

I try to write. I've been staring at a paper for

An hour now and it's driving me crazy. I'm

Scared (F/n). I don't want to mess this up.

Yoongi had me suspended for the longest time

And now that I can finally write...I have nothing.

Please help me, (F/n).

**You**

I'll come over.

Do you really think I'll help you?

I won't distract you at all?

**Namjoon **🦅

You're more inspiration than anything

Else if I'm being honest.

Please.

I need you.

**You**

I'm on my way 💜

**Namjoon **🦅

Thank you 💘

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	59. The Class President

Ch.59

Namjoon's P.O.V.

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Taehyung and I were dropped off at our house. He was bouncing around me like usual. I chuckled to see him acting so hyper. I could never understand how he always had so much energy. Unlocking the front door, I opened it wide for Taehyung to enter. He ran inside shouting the lyrics to Fake Love. That boy. Shaking my head, I shut the door behind me. I took a look around the house and sighed to myself. Anytime it's just Taehyung and me...this place always feels so empty and lonely. Before I actually got friends, I was used to having this big house be empty. Having Taehyung around gave me social interaction and Jimin would occasionally show up. Things were really lonely back then.

A tight smile came on my lips as I looked back at those old memories. Mom and Dad told us to focus on school ever since I can remember. Since I was older, I was left in charge of watching over Taehyung. They would always send us allowance to spend on ourselves. Food, clothes, and supplies for school. Stuff like that. They used to visit every month when we were younger, but that stopped. Soon it became every couple months and once I became thirteen years old, they let go of the nanny. That's when I had to take care of Taehyung all by myself. They told me to make sure he passes his classes and set a rule with me that Taehyung wasn't aware of. If I got good grades, our allowance grew. The better the grades I got, the more money I had. I used that money to make Taehyung stop crying all the time. I tried to fill money where love should have been. He was ten and constantly whining about wanting to see Mom and Dad.

They weren't coming no matter how hard he cried.

Normally, I tried not to think about Mom and Dad often. It's only when we're all alone that they pop back up in my head. At least growing up they were more involved in my life than they were in Taehyung's. I went up to my room still lost in my thoughts. Hoseok sent the music and lyrics over to me. It was my turn to right my rap lyrics. A song about Fake Love. Completely opposite of what DNA was. Dropping my body in a seat, I scooted in closer to my computer. Finding the email Hoseok sent me wasn't too hard. I listened through the song again with my parents in mind.

It didn't apply to them. At least I didn't want it to. Just because they weren't around didn't mean they didn't care about us. They're busy with work is all. It's just...it wouldn't hurt to call once a month. My mind drifted back to the barbeque at Yoongi's house. Taehyung claiming that he practically hasn't seen his parents his entire life. I told him not to exaggerate and it made my heart hurt. I want to be enough as a big brother, but he wants his parents. To be honest, I think I'm responsible for making Taehyung so hurt about not seeing his parents. I used to shove him away and not give him the attention he needed. I focused on studying and though I tried to show affection my way, that's not what he needed.

Maybe I should write about that. How one's own desires can't translate into love for another? Tapping my lips with my finger, I listened through the song multiple times. I'm supposed to fill in the blank for the final round tomorrow. I only have a couple hours. Pulling out a piece of paper, I take out a mechanical pencil with it. Time to finish the song. I wrote my verse and stared at it for a couple seconds. Garbage. I ripped it up and took out another paper. Even if I wrote lyrics, I didn't like how they were turning out. That's not how I want to word it! The lead broke when I crossed out the lyrics harshly. Think, Namjoon. Do it again. Running a hand through my hair, I stared at the paper for almost an entire hour.

Nothing was popping in my head. Nothing good. It all felt like my thoughts were jumbled. My last idea for fake love wasn't good at all. Fake love? A heavy sigh left my lips as I thought of another form of fake love. It doesn't have to be actual fake love...could it be me trying to give love to Taehyung in a way I can't? I can't give him the parent love he needs. Biting my lip, I returned the pencil to the paper only to let my head hit my desk. I don't have anything!! Throwing my pencil to the side out of frustration, I soon let out a heavy sigh. Throwing things around isn't going to help anything. I stood up from my chair to go pick up the pencil. I need inspiration. As I grabbed my pencil, (F/n) appeared in my head.

She must be resting at her home. I bit my lip as I thought about the first time I met her. It was in math class, the first day of school. Seokjin told us to exchange our papers with others to correct them. She came up to me. No one else had ever done that before...(F/n) was cute. That's the first thing that popped in my head. Whoever this girl is, she's pretty. A smile came on my face as I texted her to come over. I was desperate for help and I knew she would be willing to help. I remember offering her math tutoring in hopes of getting closer to her. Though I needed to focus on my own studies, I started thinking about getting a girlfriend. That clearly didn't happen thanks to two idiots named Yoongi and Hoseok, but I'm still happy they're around.

As I set down my phone after having a short conversation with her, someone sneaked into my room. Who else could it be? Turning around with my arms crossed, I saw Taehyung trying to hide next to my bed. Too late, Buddy. I saw you. Taehyung giggled as I walked over to him. He had his body under my bed and I grabbed his ankles. He squealed as I pulled him out from under there. It's messy as hell. Why would he sneak under there? I laughed as Taehyung closed his eyes tightly. When he was younger, he was convinced that if he closed his eyes then he would turn invisible to me. Crouching down, I sighed as I looked at him.

"That's strange...I could have sworn Tae was right in front of me a second ago." I smiled.

"Boo!" Taehyung opened his eyes, laughing happily. He sat up to hug me tightly. He seemed super cheerful today. A lot more than I was used to which was saying something.

"Did you eat too much sugar?" I questioned. Taehyung pulled away, showing me his box smile. He shook his head as we both stood up.

"Don't you remember, Hyung? Eomma and Appa said they would be coming at the end of the month!" Taehyung jumped up and down. "It's the end of the month so I'm ready!"

"I see that." I ruffled his blue hair. He snuggled his head into my hand like a puppy wanting to be pet for longer. "But Tae...they never specified when. So if they don't show up—"

"They will!" Taehyung didn't want to hear me crushing his dreams. His eyes were begging me to stop talking. I could hear the desperate tone in his voice. I gave him a weak smile as he ran out of my room. Did I hurt his feelings?

Taehyung's heart was racing as he left my room. The preteen was counting the days off his calendar. This was the date our parents gave us so it meant a lot for Taehyung. He's been hoping for them to arrive for the longest time. He rushed downstairs, taking in a deep breath. He almost cried in front of his older brother and he didn't want to do that again. He wanted to be a big boy. He was growing up so he knew he couldn't keep acting like a child forever. It was a habit of his though. Acting like he was an elementary school student at times. For attention and because it comforted him. Taehyung knew his parents were coming to visit soon. They said Friday after all. How long they were planning on staying was a different question entirely. They could stay for an hour or three days the longest. The brothers really had no way of knowing.

The small boy wandered in front of the door for a couple minutes. They were coming today. He knew they were. Taehyung had his phone in his hand, tempted to call his parents. He wanted them home already. He sat in front of the door with a pout, whining softly to himself. Please come home. Taehyung stared at the door sadly until he saw the doorknob twist. He snapped out of his thoughts, panicked and ready to shout for help. The door was opening though. The only people who have the key to the house are...Taehyung's heart was racing as he heard his parent's unfamiliar voices on the other side. He grinned to himself, bouncing excitedly.

"Was the front door always that hard to open?" Mom grumbled to herself as she opened the door. She stood in a clean white suit, her hair in a short bob, and looking completely different from when Taehyung had last seen them.

"We can get it fixed if you'd like." Dad sighed, putting away his phone. He was wearing a grey suit and looked exhausted compared to his wife. Mom turned her head right away once she heard a sharp gasp. Taehyung could feel tears in his eyes. They came! They came after all! Taehyung ran up to them, hugging them both instantly.

"Eomma!! Appa!! I was waiting for you guys for the longest time!!" Taehyung did his best to hold back some of his emotions. His parents were silent at his affection. Taehyung felt himself get plucked away from them and he was confused. He stared up to see his Dad pinching the bridge of his nose. Mom looked horrified, but Taehyung couldn't understand what was with their reactions.

"You dyed your hair blue!?" Mom crossed her arms. Oh...wait until she sees her eldest son. Taehyung smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes..."

"You're changing it back immediately." Mom stepped inside the house, frustrated by her welcome back already. Taehyung didn't frown. He could understand why she was upset. Dad could barely look Taehyung in the eyes. He was upset that he had to come home to find out that I wasn't doing my job of stopping Taehyung from making 'bad choices'.

Taehyung followed his two parents around like a mindless puppy. They moved around the kitchen and inspected the house to make sure it was clean. It was mainly due to the fact that Hoseok and (F/n) exist. They seemed satisfied with the state of the house. I had luck on my side lately. I haven't broken anything in the house so Mom and Dad couldn't be too upset. They sighed before they turned to face their son. Taehyung was staring up at them with big eyes. He was so glad that they were here. Even if they weren't going to stay here for a long time, Taehyung wanted to spend time with them. Mom pursed her lips at Taehyung while Dad returned to his phone. He kept glancing at it, busy with work yet again.

"So Taehyung, where's Namjoonie?" Mom asked, looking around curiously.

"He's upstairs working on something!" Taehyung answered enthusiastically.

"Oh really? A school project?" She smiled as she faced her husband. "Isn't Joonie so hard working? He's very smart, isn't he honey?"

"Yes." Dad ignored her.

"He is smart!" Taehyung shouted, hoping to get Mom to look at him again. She faced him with a look that told him to lower his voice. Taehyung played with his fingers nervously. "Eomma, how long are you staying?"

"Not long." Mom sighed as she set down her purse on the table. "We almost couldn't make it. We're very busy, Taehyung. I'm sure Namjoonie explains that to you though."

"He does!" Taehyung nodded.

"I want to see my precious boy." Mom frowned. "But he's working on something important."

"I'm here!" Taehyung bounced on his toes. Mom glanced at him again, giving him a weak smile. Her eyes only drifted back off to the stairs. She wanted to see her eldest son. "Eomma, I've been waiting for this day for a long time! I was hoping that maybe—"

"Have you been studying, Taehyung?" Mom interrupted. The boy swallowed hard, knowing she would talk about grades sooner or later.

"Hyung helps me but he gets busy with his own work," Taehyung explained before something popped up in his head. He gasped, thrilled to mention it. Mom was waiting for him to stop bouncing around and to just spit it out already. "Oh! Oh! I have an A+ in art and photography! The teacher says—"

"That's just an extracurricular." Mom shook her head. Taehyung closed his mouth instantly as she faced him with sharp eyes. "How is your grade in math?"

"Ah...it's improved, Eomma! I've been working really hard and got it up to a B+!" Taehyung answered honestly. His grades are all A's except for math. He didn't share the same intellect as his older brother, but he was trying. Mom sighed heavily through her nose, frustrated to get this response.

"We leave you boys...alone. I'm sorry that we do that, but we have to just to keep this house. For you boys to have a place to live, to go to your private schools, and for you boys to get food on the table." Mom did her best to not lose her patience. Taehyung became quiet as she put her hand on her hip. "The least you could do to repay us is to improve your grade properly for your future, Taehyung. You have a B+? While everyone else has A's? You know I raised Namjoonie with high standards and he can handle it. He goes beyond my expectations sometimes too, but you don't listen to me. Do you listen to him?"

"I-I'm working on it." Taehyung bit his lip.

"The school year is almost over." Mom scoffed. "You need to graduate Sehyun Academy with all A's or else how do you expect to pass Sehwang? We don't pay for such an expensive school only for you to not even try!"

"I am trying, Eomma!" Taehyung whined.

"I'm on a call, Taehyung!" Dad huffed. The small boy shut his mouth once again. Mom left the kitchen and Taehyung followed her with a hopeful expression. She stared up the stairs, pursing her lips at the fact that her eldest son was too busy to even say hi. Taehyung still kept a smile as he stared at his Mom. It's actually her. She's back.

"You know, Eomma, hyung and I have been very busy with a contest." He giggled. "I was hoping that you and Appa could support us. The parents of all my friends support them—"

"Contest?" Mom was bewildered. She furrowed her brows at him like the boy was speaking nonsense. "For school?"

"No! This isn't school related." Taehyung shook his head, seeing her eyes glued on him. He finally had her attention now. "Hyung and I are in an idol contest! He writes songs and produces the music for them on the equipment you and Appa send him! We're doing really well and won the first rank on the last round! I bet we can win and become an actual idol group!!"

"Idol contest?" Mom narrowed her eyes on Taehyung.

Back in my room, I stared back at the screen with a blank expression. Lyrics. Words. Rap. This was getting frustrating. I kept glancing at the clock only to see that a couple minutes had passed by. (F/n) doesn't live too far from me, but it's not like she lives close by either. She needs a bus home from my place. Then the walk over is kind of long when I think about it. I wish she was here already. Pulling out my microphone, I figured I would do some freestyle rap and hope something sticks. Setting it up wasn't too hard. It was almost muscle memory when it came to working with my equipment.

Once my computer notified me that the microphone was connected, a smile came onto my face. Perfect. I did a couple of tests to make sure everything was in order. It was running fine so I might as well try to start working on something while I wait. My finger hovered over the record button as someone entered my room abruptly. Though I love him, I really need to focus on creating my music. This is important for the both of us. A heavy sigh left my mouth as I leaned back in my chair. Removing my headphones, I set them on my desk tiredly as I began to turn in my chair.

"Taehyung, I have to finish writing my song al...ready..." I feel my heart almost jump out of my chest. Instead of Taehyung, I see my Mom standing at the doorway. She looks furious as she stares at me. Jumping onto my feet, it felt strange having her in my room. "Eomma! When did you arrive? I-Is Appa here too?"

"Song?" Mom spoke through gritted teeth. "Isn't this just a hobby, Joonie?"

"...it...was." I rubbed my arm.

"Was?" Mom fumed. "Namjoonie, your Appa and I bought you all these things because you liked them! We figured a hobby wouldn't hurt! We thought it would help you grow as a person, but to become obsessed with it enough to join an _idol contest_? Taehyung tells me that he's in it too! You roped him into it?"

"Well..." My heart wouldn't stop pounding against my chest. D*mn it, Taehyung. Why would you mention it to her? I didn't actually think they would come. I was sweating in front of her, unable to speak as she stormed over to look at my equipment.

"I bet you signed a contract already so we can't take you out of it without causing legal issues!" Mom growled. "How you managed to do this without parent approval is beyond me! Did you have another person act as your guardian? How far did you go to do all this!?"

"Eomma, please. We only have one more round of the contest left then it's over!" I reasoned. Mom only shook her head at me.

"It's not over, Joonie. You've already put yourself on television! Then Taehyung says you guys got first in the last round and I'm sure that wasn't easy!" Mom frowned. "Where was your mind these last couple months? There's no way you were completely focused on school with this contest around. Then you pull other students into it! Joonie, I thought you knew better! School is your first priority!"

"It's a passion, Eomma!" I fought back. "I'm sorry but fighting about this now is pointless. Now can you leave? I'm sorry, but I have to record my part for the contest. It needs to be approved and we're just wasting time."

"Do you realize the way you're speaking to me is unacceptable?" Mom was shocked. She couldn't believe the tone I took with her. I'd normally accept anything she would say. That's why she always considered me her favorite. She also actually spent time raising me a little bit when I was younger. It's not like she got to know Taehyung before abandoning him with me. Hearing her say those things got under my skin.

"You have no reason to start acting like a Mom right now!" I groaned. Mom froze at my words while I meant them. My entire body felt like it was on fire. Stepping up to my parents felt like I was committing the biggest crime. A voice in the back of my head was yelling at me to shut up. Stop putting up a fight and pretend like I'll listen to her. They're not going to stay anyway. At the same time, I couldn't do that. She needs to know that I won't become a businessman like her and Dad always thought.

"Namjoonie..." Mom had tears in her eyes. Her expression contorted into an outraged one. "I do my best to care for you! Working a demanding job isn't easy! I try my best and this is the thanks I get? I'm so disappointed because I would have loved to have spent holidays with you in the past years! I would have loved to have been there for your middle school graduation and—"

"For God's sake, Eomma. I'm sure you would have liked to be there for me, but what about Taehyung?" I saw her become stiff. I could feel my body trembling as I spoke, "It hurts him that you guys aren't around. He cries at the mention of parents! He acts like a child and craves attention! Then he waits for you guys and all you care about is me?"

"Kim Namjoon."

"I'm old enough to take care of myself, Eomma. Go back to work and let me get back to my work." I turned back to my desk. As I stepped toward it, I felt a hand grabbed my shoulder. Mom pulled me back to my surprise. I stumbled back as she roughly disconnected my microphone. What is she doing? My eyes widened as she held it high up in the air. "E-Eomma!" She threw it on the ground with intense force. A couple pieces popped off, but I wanted to stay positive. It could still work. My heart almost stopped as Mom continued to destroy the microphone in front of me. It's the only one I have. She stomped on it with her heels before I rushed to grab it. "NO!"

"This is your punishment!" She forcefully ripped it from my hands to throw it again. This time, it was tossed a lot harder. It cracked open as it went through further abuse. Mom was panting as I rushed to it, on my knees. My heart felt like it was in the same state. It...was broken. "I'm sorry, Joonie, but you need to fix your priorities. Your Appa and I need to leave, but I hope you reflect on this seriously. Don't abuse the lack of parental vision when I thought I could trust you!"

A lump was in my throat as she left the room. Bringing the broken pieces in my hands, I felt my vision grow blurry. I could hear Mom yelling downstairs for Dad to leave with her. Mom yelled at Taehyung to study and forget about the contest. Then the front door was slammed shut. The second the door was closed, I began to cry. There were so many buried emotions that came out during that fight. Now it was all coming out and I didn't know what to do. This wasn't just about a microphone. As my sobs grew louder, I heard soft footsteps coming in my direction. It didn't take a genius to guess who it was. He stared at me as I felt shame continue to wash over me. Taehyung was shocked as I held the broken microphone close to my chest.

Taehyung slowly went down on his knees with me. He stared at the microphone in surprise. He knew this was Mom's doing. I stared at him, hot tears continuing to flood down my cheeks against my wishes. It just wouldn't stop. Taehyung was breathing quickly himself as he took in the scene in front of him. His eyes kept traveling between the microphone and me. I've never cried in front of Taehyung before. This was the first time he's ever seen me like this. I can't even remember the last time I cried like this. Taehyung was trembling now, his hands balling up into tight fists. He stared down at his lap in disbelief and hurt.

"I-I'm sorry, Hyung!" Taehyung cried, throwing his arms around me. Somehow that only got me to cry even more. It felt so pathetic of me. I tried telling myself it was just a microphone...but it wasn't. Mom and Appa most likely won't ever listen to me. I don't have a voice. They broke my microphone that they gave me in the first place.

"T-Taehyung..." I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight. We only had each other. There was no other family tied to us. We sobbed together for what felt like the longest time. His tears soaked through my shirt and I did the same to him. We were complete messes but holding him made me feel like I could pretend to be together. Taehyung hiccupped, wiping his face while tears kept leaving my face. I was silent by this time now. Exhausted and the tears still coming anytime I reminded myself of what had just happened. It was hard to keep my mind off of it. It's not like I could pretend everything was okay. The doorbell then rang and I didn't want to open the door. I wanted to stay here on the floor. Taehyung sniffled as he stared at me. He mumbled 'stranger danger', but I refused to move. Taehyung pursed his lips, seeing how broken I was.

*~*

You didn't mean to take so long. You were supposed to be here earlier, but the bus ride over was kind of crazy. That's going to be quite the conversation you have with Namjoon. He'll probably get a huge laugh over it. It wasn't even the bus ride over here that took you forever. You had to search for you headphones all over your room. They were with you earlier when you listened to D-Crunch's song. Then you came home and they disappeared. At first, you were terrified that you had left them at the venue. Just as you were having a break down about losing your precious headphones, your Mom popped in. She heard you whining about them and easily spotted them in your mountain of stuffed animals. Mom is a life saver.

With your bus pass, phone, and headphones, you were ready to go. Now you were panting heavily as you walked up the steps to Namjoon's house. You were late. Super late. Well, later than you wanted to be. As you ran over here from the bus stop, you saw a super expensive car leaving this neighborhood. You've never seen it before. Namjoon really does live in the well-off area. You took in a deep breath and shook yourself out in front of their front door. Time to help inspire Namjoon! You have no idea how you'll do that, but you're here for him! Ringing the doorbell, you patiently waited for someone to open the door. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting longer than you thought you would have to. It was almost leaving you concerned. Namjoon knew you were coming over. Did something happen?

Taking out your phone, you were already going to call him. He was in your speed dial just like Hoseok and Yoongi. Just as you were about to call him, you could hear some rustling inside. Someone was coming to open the door! You put away your phone and smiled to hear them unlocking it. The door then slowly opened for you. It barely opened wide to your surprise. Whoever opened the door left you a little peek of inside. Furrowing your brows, you gently pressed your hand against the door. It opened wider to reveal a quivering puppy. Ears drooping down along with a tail that didn't have energy to wag. The sight broke your heart instantly. Rushing inside, you wrapped your arms around the puppy that had been crying for who knows how long.

"Tae, puppy. What's wrong?" You looked him in the eyes. Taehyung only stared at the floor, sniffling. He wasn't answering you and it was making you nervous. Namjoon. Where is he? He would be comforting Taehyung right now, but he's not. What happened to Namjoon? A sick feeling came over you at the idea of something awful happening to him. "Tae, baby...can you speak to me? You can trust me. I'm just really concerned."

"...H-Hyung...h-he's crying..." Taehyung finally confessed. The puppy was in so much pain for his brother. Almost as if he believed he was guilty. You had no clue what was going on, but you wanted to help. Bringing Taehyung closer to your chest, you kissed his head. Something to help him calm down. The puppy relaxed as you soothed him. Petting his head and telling him that you'll take care of everything. He won't have to worry. Noona has this covered. Taehyung nodded at your words with no more tears leaving his face. Drying his cheeks with your sleeve, you gave the boy a couple more kisses on his forehead. Taehyung smiled softly to be receiving affection.

"I'll go check on Namjoon, okay? Are you alright being alone?" You asked.

"I'll be fine now, Noona...thank you." Taehyung fidgeted with his fingers. "Go to Hyung now. He needs you."

Taehyung didn't have to tell you twice. Your heart was pounding harshly against your chest as you ran up the stairs. Already, your mind was going to horrible situations. You were really afraid to see the state he was in. Seeing Taehyung like that hurt you so much. It was hard to imagine seeing Namjoon in a possibly worse state. This couldn't just be over a writing block over lyrics. Something had to have happened. Namjoon is a strong person and leader. If he were to cry then it would be over something serious that you may not even have the right to ask about. Rushing to his room, you saw his door was left open. You were going to run in until you saw him on the floor, clutching a dismantled microphone in his hands.

He looked lost.

Falling onto your knees, you crawled over to Namjoon. Silent tears were leaving him as he latched onto that microphone. Hoping for it to work. Wishing his voice could be heard and recorded. To have it be approved. Namjoon's eyes saw you come in and it looked like he had forgotten that you were coming over. His face was pink and blotchy from his endless sorrow. Namjoon grew tense when you went up to hug him. The second your arms wrapped around him, he became stiff under your touch. Almost as if he didn't want you to see him like this. Now wasn't a good time for him, but you weren't going to leave him. You couldn't bring yourself to leave him now.

"(F/n)..." Namjoon's voice was weak and delicate. Cracked glass waiting for a light tap before it shattered into a million pieces.

"It's okay, Namjoon." You took in a deep breath, blinking away any tears that were trying to come out at this moment. "I'm here for you."

"...(F/n)." Namjoon pulled you closer. He began to cry harder and it continued to hurt you. What did this to him? Namjoon looked like had been crying for hours. He was suffering as you held him in your arms. A hold that was tight and comforting. Something that would allow him to confide in you and slowly heal. The two of you stayed this way for as long as he needed. Eventually, Namjoon couldn't cry anymore as he stared with a blank expression. Wiping away his tears, you kept a hand on his cheek.

"Do you want to talk about it? Or do you just want ice cream?" You smiled as he pursed his lips. "If you want me to go—"

"No. Please stay." Namjoon grabbed your wrist. He kept your hand in its place, wanting your warm hand against his cheek.

"I will." You nodded as he took in a deep breath. Namjoon looked around everywhere in the room except for the broken microphone on the ground. He released it onto the floor, refusing to touch it anymore or spare it a glance. "What happened, Dimple Dots?" You smiled to see a chuckle slip out of him. Nicknames always made you feel better when you were sad. It always comforted you when Mom or Dad used them. It let you feel safe.

"Dimple dots..." Namjoon repeated warmly. He rubbed his thumb into the back of your hand as he exhaled. "M-My parents came back...and it didn't go so well." You kept a still expression though you were surprised. His parents were never around yet you do remember him mentioning that his parents would visit at the end of the month. This was the result? "Taehyung told our Eomma about the c-contest...she was mad. We fought and she...she...yeah."

"They left?" You questioned as he mumbled yes. Your lips thinned at the situation. It wasn't the sweet family reunion that Taehyung had been craving. It was the exact opposite and you wished the boys wouldn't have to be put through that ever again. "Let's get you cleaned up and we'll take care of the broken mic, okay?"

"How am I going to record my part for Y-Yoongi?" Namjoon swallowed hard. He didn't want to let his member down, but it wasn't his fault in the slightest. You bit your lip since you didn't have a microphone on you. Then you doubt Namjoon wants to go to Yoongi's house to record it. That would only lead to questions that you know the president won't want to answer. You sighed in thought until you slowly realized that you were wrong. You do have a microphone! Gasping, you quickly took out your headphones. It may not be as nice as the one Namjoon had owned, but it still worked!

"You can use my headphones!" You lifted it up. Namjoon blinked at you quietly and took your headphones. He smiled at them, eventually chuckling at the quick thinking. Your headphones had a microphone to record in them.

"...Thank you, Cha (F/n). I'm grateful." Namjoon brought it close to his chest. "I still don't have lyrics but...I think I know what I should write now."

"That's perfect." You grinned. You helped Namjoon stand up, making sure he was careful not to step on the broken pieces. As you turned to bring Namjoon over to the bathroom, you felt his arms wrap around your waist. He rested his head on top of yours as you stared at the wall of his room. He hugged you from behind, feeling stronger than he did earlier with baby steps.

"Can you sleep over?" He asked softly.

"...I will." You leaned into him as he gave you a gentle squeeze.

Namjoon cleaned himself up in the bathroom. He washed his face and waited until he was truly ready to go back to writing lyrics. He had a better idea of what he wanted to write this time. He wanted to write how if you weren't true to yourself or to others that love wouldn't last. While he washed up, you put the microphone in a bag for him. You weren't sure if he would want you to throw it away just yet. Namjoon didn't take long to come back into his room. He sat in his desk, grabbing a pencil as he began to write down lyrics. You were going to give him some time alone, but Namjoon wanted you to stay in his room. He told you to just sit on his bed and that you weren't bothering him at all.

While you patiently sat on his bed, you watched him work. He was quiet as he wrote things down. It was different from watching him scribble into his notebook. It was as if Namjoon truly knew what to write down. There weren't going to be any edits to the raw emotions he was spilling out. The sound of the ground creaking caught your attention. Right away, your head turned in the direction of the sound. A little puppy was standing at the doorway. Taehyung was poking his head in, but was hesitant to come in. You smiled and waved him over. As long as he's quiet then there won't be a problem. Taehyung walked over and sat on the bed with you. Wrapping your arms around him, you let the puppy rest against you as you pet him.

The lyrics came to Namjoon a lot easier this time. He took in a deep breath as he looked them over. Turning in his seat, he faced you to have you review them for him. His eyes widened to see Taehyung, but he wasn't upset. He only smiled at his little brother. Handing you the lyrics, Namjoon pulled Taehyung over to him and gave the puppy the biggest hug. Whatever Taehyung felt guilty for, it looked like it was melting away. Namjoon assured the boy that things were going to be okay. You read the rap Namjoon had prepared and you knew this was what he had to record. Giving it back, you nodded your head to him. Time to record. Taehyung and you were silent as Namjoon recorded his voice a couple times doing the rap. The puppy was in awe to see the process. Soon Namjoon sent his work over to Yoongi and Hoseok. The two instantly replied back to their leader, stating that it matched really well. Nice job, Namjoon.

Taehyung eventually left the room. You sent your Mom a text that you had to stay over at Namjoon's house. It was important. She didn't question it at all and only sent you a heart emoji. Facing Namjoon, you were just glad that he was doing better. He was a lot more relaxed than he was earlier. The two of you stayed in his room, watching videos on his laptop until it was nighttime. Soon the both of you were dressed to sleep, but none of you were ready to sleep. Namjoon had switched into comfortable clothes and gave you one of his old shirts to wear. Though you were fine sleeping in your normal attire, he insisted. You knew it would make him happy so you did and he only ended up blushing like a dork.

"I guess my shirt is kind of big on you..." Namjoon chuckled. The two of you were laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Instead of sleeping, you both just...talked.

"It's fine. I just think it's cute that Taehyung saw me and wanted to wear one of your shirts." You smiled. "One day it won't be so baggy on him."

"...I hate that." Namjoon sighed. "It makes me happy, but sad...it's weird. It really feels like I've been raising him on my own. I feel like I've ignored a lot of his milestones until this contest came in our lives."

"That's good." You sighed peacefully. "I've noticed that this contest has done a lot of that. It's making everyone realize the importance of family."

"Yeah." Namjoon bit his lip. "I just wish my Eomma would have accepted it...I'm glad Appa didn't yell at me though."

"Do you hate them?" You asked carefully.

"Strangely...no." Namjoon shrugged. "I just wish things would be different. If they didn't work so much, I have a feeling that things would have been easier. Taehyung would be happier too and Eomma would be more caring towards him too."

"Is she not already?" You frowned.

"Sort of. I mean, she still loves him, but I'd be lying if I said she didn't have a favorite." Namjoon glanced at you awkwardly. You patted his hand, knowing he felt guilty for stealing the attention that Taehyung badly craved from their parents. "...I'm sure if she had the time—if the both did—things could be better."

"I'm sure things will work out in the future. All we need is time right now." You turned on your side to face him. Namjoon slowly moved on his side too to stare at you. The first thing he did was laugh out of embarrassment. You giggled at him for always being so awkward. Now that you think about it, this is your first sleepover alone with Namjoon. "Hey Joonie!"

"What?" He adjusted himself to make him more comfortable. His eyes remained on you though. The same ones that overwhelmed you in the bathroom that one time.

"...I'll root hard for you and BTS tomorrow." You almost forgot what you wanted to say. Namjoon's smile grew to hear that. "Tomorrow is the final round and I know you guys will kill it with Fake Love."

"Thank you, (F/n)." Namjoon soon let out a heavy sigh. "I'm...actually really nervous for tomorrow. This round determines everything. And I really don't want our hard work to be for nothing..."

"It won't be for nothing, Namjoon." You assured him. "All of you boys have realized something about yourselves through this contest. It's done a lot of help and sure, caused harm with our school environment, but that won't matter in the long run. Do you realize how powerful BTS is?"

"What do you even mean?" Namjoon was smiling, but he wasn't taking you seriously.

"No More Dream." You pointed out. "You guys are honestly like a voice for the new generation while everyone else is making the same love song over and over again. So many people are moved by BTS's performances and it affects them. I promise you that this won't all be for nothing even if you guys somehow don't win."

"...do you think there's a chance we won't win?" Namjoon raised a brow, biting his lip.

"I highly doubt that." You grinned confidently. Namjoon nodded to himself, his dimples appearing on his cheeks. You poked his dimple and he laughed at your behavior. He couldn't even count the amount of times Jimin and Taehyung have done the same to him. The two of you giggled softly together when a little voice spoke out.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!" Taehyung shouted. Namjoon shot up with a pillow, throwing it in his brother's direction. The puppy squealed and bolted out of the room.

"Tae, I swear to God!" Namjoon huffed tiredly before he looked down at you again. You were used to it at this point and easily dusted it off. It was still funny to see how flustered Namjoon got. His entire face bright pink as he mumbled how he was going to ground Taehyung after the contest. So cute, but you knew he wouldn't.


	60. A Passion Beyond Labels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: D-Crunch's song is Are You Ready?)

Ch.60

Seokjin woke up early to pick up all the boys. He had a sleepy Jungkook in the backseat as he got Hoseok, Jimin, Yoongi, and made his way over to Namjoon's house. He expected to get you after the Kim brothers. To everyone's surprise, you were already there with them. Cleaned up and ready to go to the final contest. You just had to wear one of Taehyung's sweaters in hopes of them not noticing the fact that you were wearing the same clothes from yesterday. That didn't stop Hoseok and Yoongi from being suspicious. Seokjin was surprised but didn't say anything about it. There was no time to ask questions. The three of you crammed into the car with the others for what was most likely going to be one of the last times.

The entire ride over wasn't silent like you thought it would be. The boys were all nervous, but full of energy. Jungkook was waking up now as you guys got closer to the venue. All the boys were chanting the lyrics to Fake Love. They were ready to completely destroy the competition. Their clothes were in a box in the trunk. The boys would be wearing leather pants, collared dress shirts, and a few of them had harnesses to wear. Some just simple chokers which were mainly for the little zoo. Taehyung was going to get a choker, but the little boy insisted on getting a full on harness. It was white and wrapped around his body with one strap around his neck. Namjoon wasn't happy about that, but Taehyung was thrilled. The puppy liked showing off his new harness to his friends who felt no real loss on their part.

Taehyung's harness was the most noticeable. The others were smaller and didn't have as much straps. All the boys were mainly wearing black with at least one white item on them. The boys began to quiet down on their chants as Seokjin drove onto the lot. They still bounced, wanting Seokjin to just find a parking spot already. Just as Seokjin was slowly driving his car into a space, Taehyung jumped out. The teacher screamed at the boy. Soon Jungkook and Jimin jumped out too. Seokjin shook his head as he finished parking the car. The rest of you came out as the little zoo were losing it. They couldn't wait to perform already despite still having a couple hours to wait through.

"Sign us in, Hyung!! Go!!" Taehyung bounced in front of his brother.

"I will, Tae. Just go get dressed in the tent with the others." Namjoon patted the boy.

"I have the clothes!" You held up the heavy box as best as you could.

"Here, I'll take care of that." Seokjin grabbed it from you. The heavy weight lifted from your hands and you were grateful. Seokjin whistled at the boys to follow him to the tent already. The vocals went to the tent meanwhile the rappers signed up with the staff. You figured you'll just head to the tent but stay outside until they're all dressed. That'll most likely take a while with some of the harnesses. Some of them needed to be buckled while others you could slip on.

It wasn't long before your friends entered the tent. They smiled at you as they slipped inside. You could hear their voices easily through the thin cloth walls. The boys couldn't get over the outfits you got them. The little zoo was more enthusiastic about the concept. At first they found the accessories questionable until they saw the outfit altogether. Their hyungs still sighed at the sight but were getting over it. Already, you can hear Seokjin sigh. He's probably staring at himself in the mirror they have set up in there. You wanted to laugh until the tent door flipped open.

Out came a puppy who needed help with his harness. He already had the rest of his outfit on. Taehyung smiled at you knowing that you would help him. You're surprised he didn't ask Namjoon or any of his other hyungs for help. The puppy's tail was wagging when you began to buckle it on. It would hang loose otherwise. Did Taehyung really want it to be you to help him? Taehyung and you have gotten very close. Aside from the fact that he called you 'Eomma' that one time, you think he really looks up to you as his Noona. Plus he really wants you to marry his older brother. As you worked on the last buckle, you heard footsteps coming over until they suddenly came to a halt. You lifted your eyes to see the maknae line of D-Crunch staring in shock. Their mouths were wide open as they walked over to you two.

"Yo, what the f...frick is this?" Jeongseung glanced up at you carefully. Good.

"What concept do you guys have?" Chanyoung furrowed his brows.

"It's kind of dark!" Taehyung grinned proudly. "You'll see once we're on stage!"

"Are you copying us?" Dylan raised a brow. Taehyung instantly frowned, shaking his head. Dylan smiled and laughed. "I'm just kidding! We're kind of doing the opposite this time."

"A song that will make you think of a party!" Jeongseung smirked. "It's exciting and catchy!"

"We're going for colorful too!" Chanyoung grinned before his eyes looked over his outfit. It was mainly purple. It looked like their color scheme this time around was purple, white, silver, and black. They didn't have to wear all those colors, but as long as they followed those.

"I think the only questionable outfit we have is Hyunoh hyung." Jeongseung snickered.

"Why's that?" You questioned. The three boys looked at each other with little smiles.

"He's wearing a crop top!" Dylan giggled. He lifted his hands in the air as he started playing around. "All he has to do is lift up his hands and we see his stomach!"

"That's funny." Taehyung laughed. You patted his back, letting him know that his harness was all buckled up. He turned around to bow and thank you. He waved at the other boys who said that they should probably get back to their own tent too. They just finished doing their soundcheck. By the time they were walking away, a staff member came by with the microphones for BTS. The boys shouted that they finished changing. You entered with staff as they all got their microphones set up. All they had to do was do a sound check and then go to stylists for hair and makeup. Usually while they did hair and makeup, you went to sit in the audience.

The boys were growing quiet as time went on. Even the zoo wasn't speaking as much as you followed them to the stage. It was becoming real to them again. The matter of the situation was hitting them. This would be the last stage they present on live television. Whether they win or not was still to be determined. Hoseok kept rubbing his hands on his pants nervously. Jimin played with his hair while Taehyung chewed on his bottom lip. Namjoon was doing his best to remain clam, but the leader was feeling the pressure on his shoulders. He sighed heavily from time to time, trying to put his worries in the back of his head.

Seeing the members like this made you feel a bit concerned. Returning to the tent with them, you watched most of them sit down and not speak to each other. They were so loud and happy earlier. Jungkook was repeating vocal exercises while Yoongi reread his part multiple times. Seokjin stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his outfit and judging himself. He muttered that his face was a bit bloated which you couldn't even see. Sighing, you grabbed the complimentary water bottles and tossed them at the boys. Most of them were surprised, but still caught the bottle. Seokjin let it hit his body before picking it up from the ground. That's one way to do it.

"Come on, BTS! We need to keep the high energy!" You reminded them. They all looked at one another, slowly nodding. They knew they needed to relax a bit. It was a little hard with the atmosphere. All the other groups were acting the same way. "You boys worked hard to perfect Fake Love and trust me when I say it's one of your best performances! You all worked so hard to get to this point! There's no reason to worry when I know you guys will do great! With this attitude, it'll affect your performance. Let's stay focused and forget about worrying, okay?"

"(F/n)'s right." Namjoon pursed his lips.

"W-We'll do better, Noona!" Jungkook lifted his bottle into the air.

"Oh, yay!" Jimin raised his water bottle as well. The others began to grin at what he was doing. "Fake Love is going to do well! Fake Love is unlike any other!"

"Dancing unlike any other!" Hoseok joined in.

"Rapping unlike any other." Yoongi smirked, standing up to raise his bottle.

"Vocals unlike any other." Seokjin smiled.

"Performances unlike any other!!" Taehyung bounced, wanting to be a part of the chants too.

"Teamwork unlike any other." You joined the small circle they were creating.

"BTS, a group unlike any other." Namjoon's dimples appeared as you all agreed with him. Namjoon's eyes then drifted off to the maknae who was staring up at his hyungs in awe. The president gave the bunny a tiny nod. Jungkook squished his bottle, lifting it up as high as he possibly could.

"CHEERS!!" Jungkook giggled. Everyone in the tent cheered along with him, soon taking a sip of the water. You'd imagine their throats were getting dry with how anxious they were. Now the boys were relaxing and acting playful again. Once a staff member came by to announce the stylists were ready for BTS, you took that as your cue to leave. You hugged every single member before sending them off to get their hair and makeup done.

You wish them the best of luck. As you walked over towards the seats, you saw D-Crunch had finished getting styled. They were looking great. With a big smile, you congratulated them for making it so far. Having a rival for BTS has actually been quite the blessing. The feeling was mutual for them as well. It got them to push themselves further too. The idea of beating one group was a lot easier than trying to beat a ton. They bowed to you and you bowed before they suddenly swarmed you. Nine people swarming you is a bit overwhelming, but you survived. It was a large group hug before they went off to their tent again. You waved goodbye to them. A smile creeped up on your lips to see Hyunho waving at you the longest. He even glanced back a couple times.

Now you were feeling super good about yourself today. Giggling to yourself, you made your way over to your seat. There was still some time to kill so you played on your phone for a bit. Little by little, people began entering and taking their seats. Music that had been previously performed was playing over the speakers. It was currently another groups song and you weren't paying attention too much to your surroundings. That was until someone put their hands around your waist so suddenly. What the hell!? Shrieking, you jumped into the air and almost dropped your phone. It took you a second to realize that it was Jinyo who had done that. He gave you an awkward smile while Jaegyu and Junsuh stood behind him. Jaegyu was rolling his eyes at his friend and Junsuh remained stoic as usual.

"This f*cking idiot. It's like he wants to get arrested for harassing a girl." Jaegyu scoffed.

"I didn't think she would get that scared!!" Jinyo whined. Junsuh only shook his head before looking around. This was their first time ever being here. They haven't had the chance to see a performance from BTS, but they have heard some of the songs. Junsuh stared at Jaegyu without saying anything, but still somehow communicating.

"Yeah, this place is a lot bigger than I thought it would be too." Jaegyu nodded.

"Oh! Junsuh, you want to sit next to me?" Jinyo happily stared up at the tall male. Junsuh didn't say anything which already spoke more than enough for you. Except Jinyo was able to read Junsuh's words just through his eyes. Junsuh looked stoic but Jinyo gasped and pouted. He turned to face you, quickly hugging you. "Some people are so mean, (F/n)."

"I don't know what's going on, but I'll sit next to you." You patted his back. Jinyo sniffled dramatically, knowing that you would be on his side. His two friends often took the chance to make fun of him any way they could. Whether it be his height or simply not giving him attention. Jinyo could act like a child at times. Something that took you by surprise when you first met him. He looks pretty intimidating at first glance though not as scary as his friends. The three of you sat down, waiting for the idol competition to start.

While the four of you waited, you caught them up on everything they have been missing. The songs that the boys performed and how the stages looked. They also wanted to know how the rivals were doing. BTS has been beating them ever since the second round. It's almost insane how many ranks BTS jumped from seventh to second. Now they're first and D-Crunch remains behind them. At this point, you strongly believed that BTS would win. They're honestly going to gain enough votes for their growing little fandom. The only other group who stands a chance at beating them is D-Crunch, but Fake Love is powerful. Just being vague about it to the fanboys had them all pumped up to see the stage. Junsuh finally talked, admitting that he had been looking forward to this day for a long time now.

They finally got a day off work! It was almost crazy to think of them working. If they work in the day and show up to Midnight Measure almost every night, when do they get time to sleep? Jinyo only laughed and told you coffee. Jaegyu said drugs at the same time and got hit by both his friends. You knew he was joking the second they started beating him up and telling him to take it back.

"We're only caffeine and hip-hop addicts in this household!" Jinyo scolded.

"Don't say risky things like that." Junsuh frowned.

"Man, can I even joke?" Jaegyu huffed, crossing his arms and sinking down in his seat. You laughed at their own little chaos.

They all bickered quietly until it was announced that taping would be starting soon. The two hosts stood at the center of the stage with their microphones in hand. It wasn't long before the competition was finally starting. Your heart was racing as they reintroduced the competition and the competitors to the audience. They played a short video for the six groups left. Once Yoongi showed up on the screen for a second, the fanboys were losing it. Their voices overpowered the fangirls who thought they were big fans. It made you want to laugh as all the fanboys appeared on the screen for a couple seconds. They were shouting wildly and hoped Yoongi would see them on a backstage tv. They also hoped Hoseok and Namjoon knew they came here to support them too.

The contest began with a girl group performing. They were doing good until one girl's voice cracked during a high note. After that, the girl struggled to keep a smile on her face throughout the entire performance. By the time they finished, the other girls were already surrounding her as she walked off. She was most likely crying and it made you feel bad. The pressure was higher than ever before. That's when the host announced that D-Crunch would be performing next. Oh hell yeah! You're ready! The fanboys stared at you in shock to see you getting hyped up over BTS's rivals. You hope that no matter what happens in the end, BTS and you can remain friends with the members of D-Crunch. You don't want any bad blood between the two groups, win or lose.

The boys walked onto the stage, positioning themselves into two lines. They were all standing with their heads down before the music began playing. It was already sounding powerful as they started moving. The front row then the second row. Though the fanboys were judging you just like Ms. Min had once done yet you still cheered for D-Crunch. Chanyoung came running to the front as they started singing together. You were living for it and made sure to absolutely scream your head off once Hyunwook started singing. You're waiting for the day that your favorite idol notices you, of course. Whether that be him throwing something at you after this is all over or not.

Hyunoh then came walking up to center as he sang. You could see how his shirt was a lot shorter compared to his groupmates. You were about to cheer until he lifted up his shirt. What!? Girls were screaming while you felt tempted to scold him for pulling such a move. Abs or not, you weren't ready for that. Ironic considering the song they were performing was called 'Are You Ready?'. The fanboys wanted to laugh at how your mouth was still wide open in shock. Not even Dylan's aegyo during his rap could help you. It's just...it left you so surprised is all. Shaking those thoughts off at the end of the performance, you clapped for them. That's when the host announced that BTS would be coming up next.

"Oh sh*t! Here comes my favorite group!" Jinyo jumped. "LET'S GO SUGA!!!" Jaegyu was hollering along as Junsuh threw his hands in the air. You were cheering with them until you noticed Jinyo become quiet. He squinted his eyes, staring as if he couldn't believe his eyes. It wasn't even at the outfits the boys were wearing. Jinyo had his eyes on one specific member out of confusion.

"Everything okay, Jinyo-ssi?" You asked.

"...is that Seokjin?" Jinyo blinked. The male couldn't keep his eyes off the eldest member who got into formation. Jinyo frowned at the fact that it was hard to see Seokjin now with four people standing in front of him. "That is Seokjin! I know it is! That's Kim Seokjin!"

"Do you know him?" You were beyond addled. How did those two know each other? The way Jinyo was staring at him looked like he thought he would never see Seokjin ever again. Your brows furrowed to see him begin to blush.

"I used to go to high school with him...what the hell?" Jinyo blinked. He turned to you with so many questions. "I-Isn't this contest for people who are thirteen to twenty-one? Why is Seokjin up there? Why is he there in the first place!? Seokjin is twenty-five!!"

"SHUT UP!" You covered his mouth. He's getting too loud. Your heart was racing, looking around to see if anyone heard that. It seemed like the audience had their eyes glued on the performance. The song started to play as the boys branched off further one by one until they were in a diagonal line. Nervously, you bit your lip to see a security guard looking in your direction. Did they hear? You slowly took your hand off Jinyo's mouth. Jinyo was staring intently, his eyes following Seokjin and refusing to leave him. Once Seokjin got into center to sing, Jinyo squealed.

"Oh my God, it is him!!" Jinyo clutched his heart. He instantly began smacking Jaegyu and Junsuh. Those two were narrowing their eyes on Seokjin as well. "Guys, it's Seokjin! Remember him from high school? Holy sh*t! He looks better than ever!"

"...he looks familiar," Jaegyu said as if he wasn't listening. Jinyo wanted to scream and Junsuh began to nod.

"I remember him." Junsuh pursed his lips.

"How could you forget!?" Jinyo looked so frustrated. He wanted to strangle Jaegyu who laughed.

"This brings back old memories! Hey, remember how you used to follow Junsuh literally everywhere in middle school?" Jaegyu laughed as Jinyo turned red. His eyes were telling his friend to shut up. "Then we go to high school and you drop him to follow Seokjin around everywhere!"

"That made me like Seokjin." Junsuh chuckled. Jinyo looked beyond embarrassed to have his past brought up again. It seems like Jinyo has been a fanboy for years now. Junsuh began to ignore the boys, wanting to focus on the rap coming from Namjoon.

"For three years straight, (F/n), Jinyo bought Seokjin chocolate for valentine's day!" Jaegyu held up three fingers to you. Automatically, your brows raised in interest while Jinyo wanted to either kill Jaegyu or kill himself. Either option was looking good to him. Jaegyu then shut up to hear Hoseok rap, cheering his dancing dongsaeng on. He lost it when Jungkook and Hoseok did the mirroring move. It was a pretty cool part! Jimin was in center as he raised his hand above the member's circling around him. Soon it was Seokjin's turn to be in center as he sang.

"Oh my—SEOKJIN!! I LOVE YOU!!" Jinyo screamed. He was so loud that you stumbled to the side. Jaegyu and Junsuh started laughing at their friend who was slipping back into old habits.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Jaegyu teased.

"We've only been on two dates and it's nothing serious, so leave me alone!" Jinyo growled and started fanboying over Seokjin again. He looked like he was going to cry.

"_I grew a flower that can't be bloomed in a dream that can't come true_~!" Seokjin sang before Jungkook took center.

"His voice is like Heaven!" Jinyo hugged you tightly. "Why have you been hiding Seokjinnie from me??"

"I didn't know you would know each other!" You stated as Taehyung took center. "Go Tae!!"

"Y-You think I can talk to him after this?" Jinyo asked. You laughed, nodding your head. He seemed so happy while you looked back on Jungkook who took center again. Only your mouth widened to see him lift up his shirt slightly.

"YAH!!" You screamed. What is that thirteen year old boy think he's doing!? Jaegyu had to hold you back from trying to go up on that stage yourself. That isn't in the choreography! You fumed, knowing he gained inspiration from Hyunoh. It took you a while to calm down. It's mainly Jimin's pirouette that made you feel better. Then Jinyo started screaming again the second Seokjin sang. Junsuh was just happy Namjoon got to rap again. That's when Yoongi began to rap, walking across the stage. His fanboys lit up and were losing it together.

"_You say I'm unfamiliar, changed into the one you used to like!__ You say I'm not myself which you knew well! No? What do you mean no? I'm blind. Love? What the heck is love? It's all fake love._" Yoongi finished. The fanboys looked like they were going to faint. Especially Jinyo who looked like he was going to cry for real this time. The boys split into two lines with Jimin in between them. It was a smooth transition that you had to cheer for. Then of course once Seokjin started walking through the members, Jinyo was screaming like he wanted to lose his voice.

"_Woo, I just know, I just know, I just know why. Cuz it's all fake love, fake love, fake love~._" Seokjin covered his mouth.

"I only have real love for you, Seokjinnie!" Jinyo was crying at this point with a pout.

"Get some f*cking help, Man." Jaegyu shook his head.

"At least Seokjin escaped when he could." Junsuh chuckled. "Now he's back. That sucks for him."

"You guys are so mean to me for no reason." Jinyo sniffled, still cheering on for the group. You cheered for Jungkook and Jimin. Once Jungkook returned to the front, you narrowed your eyes on him. Don't do it. This time Jungkook raised his shirt higher than last time. Piece of—!! That's it! You're grounding him after this! While you were all huffy and puffy, Jinyo cried out for Seokjin's part again. He was in awe when Seokjin and Jungkook were on their knees, dancing in synch. They got up and walked together with the others coming around them. Seokjin had his hand on Jungkook's arm before his nephew slipped down, leaving Seokjin the only standing straight with his hand up.

Everyone was cheering and applauding the performance by BTS. Though you were upset with Jungkook, you still felt extremely proud of them. They had a majority of the viewer's attention. The fanboys were claiming that BTS was going to win no matter what. No one could beat them with their skills and stage. Jinyo stopped crying finally. Jaegyu apologized to you and told the boy to get himself together if he wants to have a proper conversation with Seokjin. Jinyo promised he would fix himself up. Junsuh then took the initiative to clean up Jinyo's face. Junsuh sloppily wiped the shorter boy's face with his sleeves. It looked like Jinyo appreciated the thought but felt like his face was getting abused more than anything.

"Feel better?" Jaegyu asked. Junsuh's eyes read 'done' as he pulled his hand away from his friend. You were slowly becoming fluent in Junsuh's silent language. You still had a lot to learn. Jinyo took in a deep breath and nodded as the next group took the stage.

"I was really happy for Yoongi and then Seokjinnie showed up." Jinyo brought his hands up to his chest again. "Gosh, remember when we created a band just so I could get closer to him?"

"Wait, what?" You needed to hear more of this. The fanboys all laughed as they faced you.

"Jinyo was obsessed with Seokjin. He was the most handsome dude in an all boy's school," Jaegyu explained. "It didn't take long for Jinyo to start following him around."

"You're making me sound like a stalker!" Jinyo stomped his foot.

"Let me finish!" Jaegyu scowled. "Anyway, Junsuh was just glad that Jinyo wasn't bothering him as much. That's when we both decided to help Jinyo get closer to Seokjin."

"We asked Seokjin to join our band." Junsuh was already laughing, unable to hide his smile. "We didn't even have a band."

"We weren't even that great at playing instruments." Jinyo cringed as he reminisced. "But I really wanted to get closer to him."

"At first, Seokjin was like no way in hell! Then all I had to do was say, 'Wow. Handsome, but no talent?' and that did it." Jaegyu slapped his leg, bending over laughing. Jinyo shook his head, muttering that what he said was still mean. "Hey, it worked though! Seokjin got all proud and was like, 'Fine! I'll join your band as long as you guys can keep up!'"

"Seokjin..." You pinched the bridge of your nose. That sounded like him. Way too much like him. Your mind flashed back to when he accidentally joined BTS and signed up to be in the competition. That explained when he said 'not again' though.

"He's a hard worker." Junsuh nodded.

"That's true! He learned how to play the guitar just so we could perform at the end of the year festival." Jinyo grinned. "And that was our last performance together as a band."

"Yep. So tragic." Jaegyu sighed. "We continued to hang out after that with Seokjin a bit, but he was getting real busy. He had his own problems to deal with and we left it at that."

"Problems?" You titled your head.

"His Noona had a kid and he often had to baby sit the little guy. Noona was always working." Jaegyu shrugged. "I wonder how the little squirt is doing now."

"Me too." Junsuh nodded his head. "What was his name?"

"Jungkook!" Jinyo clapped his hands. "We met him when he was six years old and only one time!"

"You guys met Jungkook?" You smiled, melting at the thought of an even younger bunny. The three boys nodded, growing confused. They blinked at you for a couple minutes until Jinyo finally spoke for them.

"Do you know Jungkook too?" He asked.

"Guys, he was on stage dancing with Seokjin. He's the boy who lifted his f*cking shirt! Sorry, I'm still kind of pissed about that, but that's fine." You laughed as their eyes widened.

"NO WAY."

The conversation you had with the fanboys was a lot more eventful than you thought it would be. Not only did they know Seokjin, but they met Jungkook once too. Right away you wanted to know more about Seokjin back in high school. Apparently, he was into puns back then too. Jaegyu and Junsuh pretended to laugh, but Jinyo actually found it charming. They were all mainly surprised with how dorky and kind Seokjin was despite him being this incredibly handsome guy. They thought for sure that he would just be an @sshole to everyone who wasn't worth his time. Once they got to know him though, he almost became a friend to them.

It's a shame you're just finding out about this now. Small world. Maybe fate. Smiling to yourself, the four of you watched the last couple performances. There was only three more groups after BTS. It didn't take long for the commercial break to come by. The online voting was happening and you pulled out your phone along with the fanboys. They voted for BTS, hoping for the best. Just for the spirit of things, Jinyo unzipped his jacket to reveal his Suga shirt. Yoongi's face was on it. He admitted that he would have taken his jacket off earlier, but he didn't want Yoongi to get distracted on stage. That was a good call on his part. After what felt like forever, the hosts were back and calling the groups onto the stage.

The six groups came on quietly. The stage was almost empty compared to when they had twenty-one groups on it once. The hosts did the usual spiel about how great the groups did and they've waited long for all the votes to come in. The fanboys all held hands nervously. Jinyo looked at you, reaching his hand out towards you. Who were you to deny him? You grabbed his hand and crushed it. Jinyo gasped but understood that you were feeling anxious for BTS. Both your boys and D-Crunch were sweating as the hosts dragged on their speech.

Namjoon took in a breath as he brought all his members together. The younger members were the most nervous. They were all holding hands, trembling as the hosts spoke. Seokjin made sure to bring the kids close to him. Just in case things didn't go the way they had hoped. Yoongi and Hoseok stood near their leader. The three rappers slowly began to hug each other, holding one another tightly.

"We will first eliminate three groups." The host held up her card. Three groups would have to leave the stage first. After that, the suspense would grow. Two groups would be eliminated and then the winner would be announced. The host slowly listed off the three groups and BTS released their breath. They're still here. D-Crunch stood next to them, relieved that they made it into the top three as well.

"Just know, I love you guys so much." Hoseok swallowed. "I-I never had real friends before...thanks for helping my passion grow."

"...thanks for helping me grow as an artist." Yoongi bit his lip.

"Thank you for being my friends and...giving me the strength to go for my dreams." Namjoon closed his eyes. With three groups on the stage, the hosts were only going to announce the winner. There was not going to be a second or third place. That's what made their heart pound. Their rivals shaking as they all hugged each other tightly.

"And the winner...is..." The host smiled into the camera. A staff member walked onto the stage, trying to quickly make their way to the host. "B-T-S!!"

Cheers erupted from the audience while some were hurt to see their group didn't win. The boys of D-Crunch quietly nodded and clapped despite not enjoying their loss. It was mainly Dylan who was the most upset. He began crying instantly and Hyunoh rushed to him, trying to tell him that it was okay. Namjoon witnessed this with his members but...it didn't feel real. Something was off. The young kids were going to jump from pure joy until the staff member whispered something into the host's ear. Unfortunately, the whisper was caught by the microphone. The news boomed through the speakers of the venue. Celebrations were cut short as everyone felt their heart stop for a second. The members of BTS still felt like jelly and their rivals were still disheartened.

"BTS is disqualified for having a member over 21." The staff hissed through their teeth. They soon froze to hear their voice over the speakers. The host was blushing, moving her microphone away from the staff member. She laughed awkwardly as she looked at the group that had received the second most amount of votes.

"Excuse me! Sorry! The winner is D-Crunch!!" She cheered, trying to make the situation better. It sadly didn't help. You and the fanboys felt a strange mixture of anger and despair. You wanted to be mad, but BTS technically did win in the end and you guys did break the rules after all. Confetti fell onto the stage to congratulate the winners. The host brought over a trophy to D-Crunch, smiling at them and apologizing for the mix up. The nine boys awkwardly waved to the camera while BTS all let out sad sighs.

"We...won...but not?" Taehyung turned to Namjoon.

"We were disqualified." Namjoon looked defeated.

"I'm so sorry guys..." Seokjin frowned. He was incredibly guilty, already feeling a glare on him from security and staff. He felt like maybe he even disappointed the people who became fans of BTS. His own teammates lost due to him.

"Don't apologize, Samchon." Jungkook shook his head. Seokjin's eyes widened at Jungkook's sudden maturity. "It's not your fault. Thank you for helping us anyway." The bunny hugged his uncle.

"We technically won." Jimin shrugged weakly, still trying to find positivity in the situation. It felt like they were living in some weird universe. Things were tense and awkward on the stage yet there was cheerful music playing. Plus confetti was still falling from the ceiling and getting shot out from cannons.

"That's true. It could have been worse." Hoseok agreed, chuckling as he caught confetti in his hands.

"It just sucks we don't get a trophy." Yoongi sighed as he crossed his arms. His eyes were on the tall trophy being held by Sangchan. The leader of D-Crunch didn't look overjoyed though. None of the members of D-Crunch looked genuinely happy in the slightest. They had smiles for the camera, but it didn't match their eyes. They slowly all faced BTS with heavy sighs.

"So we didn't win...but did." Sangchan pursed his lips. "Only because of...a mishap." The leader glanced at Seokjin. The eldest blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How old are you?" Hyunwook asked carefully.

"Over 21. Didn't you hear?" Hyunwoo nudged him. "Don't embarrass him further."

"...sorry." Hyunwook bowed.

"I'm not that old," Seokjin mumbled.

"Congratulations on winning though!" Taehyung clapped.

"Thanks..." Hyunoh gave the boy a smile.

"We didn't win." Jeongseung shook his head, crossing his arms in frustration. "You guys did. You guys deserved to win even with the age rule being broken."

"It's true...this isn't a true win for us." Chanyoung nodded sadly.

"Don't be sad!" Jimin frowned.

"Yeah! Cheer up!" Hoseok smiled in hopes of getting one back.

"J-Just know that we will beat you properly one day!" Dylan sniffled, wiping his face. "I-I don't even want this trophy!"

"Don't be like that." Jungkook chuckled, rushing to hug the boy. Dylan didn't push the bunny away like Jungkook would have thought. Instead, the two hugged each other tightly.

"Well...I'll take the trophy." Yoongi held his hand out.

"You're ridiculous." Namjoon slapped his hand away. Yoongi pouted, letting the leader handle things. "I guess all I have to say as the leader of BTS is we congratulate you on your win and wish you the best in your future work as D-Crunch. We'll cheer you on. Fighting!"

"Really?" Minhyuk bounced up and down. "That's so kind and thoughtful! Thank you!"

"Yeah, thank you for all the motivation you guys have given us." Sangchan held his hand out. Namjoon took it, the two shaking hands.

Soon both groups bowed to each other before getting off stage. The cameras stopped recording and people were still shocked in the audience. You included! You told the fanboys to head on over to Namjoon's house. There was something there that they had to stop. They took Namjoon's address and left. While they did that, you ran to the back area to check if the boys were okay. From what you saw on the stage, it looked like they were sad but accepting the reality of the situation. None of them were crying so that was a good start! As you made it towards the tent area, you accidentally bumped into the winning group. BTS passed by them without even noticing you. D-Crunch looked stunned to see you and gave you awkward smiles.

"Sorry..." Jeongseung said.

"It's fine, Boys." You sighed. "Don't worry about it. Congratulations and go celebrate. I was actually trying to find my group."

"Thanks, Noona." Sangchan bowed.

"I hope we see each other again!" Hyunoh waved as they all began to walk off. All except one member who stood there with a tiny stuffed bear in his hands. What's this? Your heart almost jumped up to your throat to see Hyunho walking up to you. Even as Hyunho walked up to you, you could see your boys in the distance. They were all standing in front of their tent talking.

"Hyunho!" You felt yourself blushing. He gave you a tiny smile, lightly blushing himself.

"(F/N)...I figure this is bad timing." He chuckled as he slowly handed you the bear. "I was hoping you would accept going on a date with me."

"D-Date?" Your eyes widened. It was hard to believe this was happening. One of your crushes actually likes you back? Hyunho nodded at your words as you grabbed the bear.

"Yeah, Jimin told me that you found me attractive and had a crush on me...and I think you're cute." Hyunho played with one of his earrings.

"Jimin did what?" You felt your heart burst.

"He apologized for saying something mean about me to Dylan and explained everything." Hyunho could already see with the look on your face that two young boys were going to be grounded from BTS. You were horrified and at the same time...flattered? It was strange. Though you didn't expect Hyunho to like you back, you were finally reflecting on your feelings as you held the bear in your hands. Hyunho is attractive and kind but...he's not the one you want to be with.

"...Hyunho, I'm so sorry." You looked back up at him. Hyunho only smiled and nodded as you rejected him. "I can't, but I'm really touched. Thank you so much." You slowly handed him back the bear.

"It's okay, I understand. I hope things go well for you and BTS then." Hyunho pushed the bear back to you. "Keep it."

"Really? But I can't." You pouted. Hyunho soon took the bear back as you bowed. "What are you going to name him?"

"Uh...name him?" Hyunho stared at the white animal. "...Bear."

"Creative." You teased as he laughed out of embarrassment. Hyunho was then called over by Hyunwook. They needed to get going. You waved goodbye to your no longer crush. Hopefully, future friend? You smiled before noticing Hyunwook narrowing his eyes on you. Are the two of you still rivals? Giving him a playful glare back to see him smile, Hyunwook blew you a kiss and turned around. You caught it and jumped around. "I'll treasure this forever!!!" You screamed, already seeing how embarrassed his was he walked away. Yes!

When you shouted, your familiar voice caught the attention of your own boys. They stopped talking to see you slowly walking over. Smiling at them, they quickly returned one back to you as they ran over. A large group hug that all of you made sure was lung crushing. Though all of you were smiling at each other, it wasn't out of pure happiness. It was mainly a smile that told you that they were trying to be strong. Instead of being glum over their loss, they were going to keep pushing through. Things didn't go the way you guys had hoped for, but it was alright in the end. Naturally, a little sad air hovered over you guys the entire ride back to Namjoon's place.

As Seokjin parked his car in the driveway, a couple of the boys were furrowing their brows. D*mn it. They noticed a couple cars parked near Namjoon's house. Yoongi recognized his mother's car, Jimin pointed out that someone must own his dad's car in the neighborhood, and Jungkook was impatiently moving around as he pointed out the car his mom owned. He excitedly tapped Seokjin, asking if his mom was here. Seokjin glanced at you worriedly. D*mn it. All you could do was bit your lip and look the other way. You would have hoped that they left or something. Even your parent's car was here. This would have been a lot better if things had gone down differently.

With how things were looking, you assumed the fanboys were unsuccessful. To be fair you probably should have informed them more. All you told them was to go to Namjoon's house and find a way to shut it down. That was it. Now you wanted to hit your face with the palm of your hand. The rest of the boys got out of the car. Some at a regular pace while others ran to the door. Jimin was hitting Taehyung, demanding the boy open the door already. The puppy only whined that Namjoon has the key. Namjoon was confused as he opened the door for everyone. The second the door was opened wide, all over you were greeted to a celebration party.

"Surprise..." Everyone awkwardly clapped their hands. The boys stood frozen at the door as they took in the scene in front of them. Jimin's parents were here along with yours. Ms. Min was here with Mr. Yoo and you assumed the woman you didn't recognize was Ms. Jeon. Right next to her were the three fanboys who all had party hats on.

They had one job.

"Eomma!!" Jungkook ran to his mother. She smiled, opening her arms wide for him. Ms. Jeon automatically began giving Jungkook kisses all over his face. The bunny was giggling as Seokjin walked over, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Noona, did you see the contest?" Seokjin winced.

"We all did." Ms. Jeon smirked. "Sucks to be old, doesn't it?"

"Noona!" Seokjin angrily kicked the ground.

"It was eventful." Your Mom laughed. She motioned you to walk over to her and Dad. Dad blew his party horn as you walked over. Meanwhile Jimin ran over to his parents, shocked that they were here. Yoongi was hugged right away by his mom. Mr. Yoo walked over, telling Yoongi that he did well. It wasn't long before Mr. Yoo turned to face Seokjin.

"Seokjin?" Mr. Yoo raised a brow.

"It's over now, you can't fire me!" Seokjin shouted. Mr. Yoo only laughed and shook his head. He felt a lot better now. It explained why Yoongi was so close with this specific teacher. Enough to even invite him to a barbeque. Favorite teacher or not, inviting your teacher to something like that is weird in general. Ms. Min continued to give her baby kisses and ignored his complaints about being too old.

"Hyung! Who are these strangers!?" Taehyung ran up to Yoongi's fanboys. You wanted to burst out in laughter from how blunt he was. Jinyo automatically frowned, taking Taehyung's words as an attack. Junsuh grinned and Jaegyu quietly waved at the small boy. Namjoon sighed as he walked over to the fanboys. Everyone in the room turned to face the fanboys including Seokjin. The teacher began blinking his eyes rapidly to make sure he was seeing things right.

"They're not strangers, Tae. They're our fans." Namjoon petted the puppy's head. "They're my hyungs. Junsuh, Jinyo, and Jaegyu."

"It is you guys!!!" Seokjin ran over. Out of everyone here, you think tonight has been the most eventful for Seokjin. The sun was barely setting and he was still getting surprises. Junsuh and Jaegyu were calm unlike Jinyo who rushed over to him excitedly. Seokjin chuckled, happy to see them. "You watched me?"

"I-I cheered for you, did you hear me?" Jinyo bit his lip.

"Were you the guy screaming that he loved me every second I sang?" Seokjin grinned as Jinyo nodded. "You haven't changed a bit!" Right away, Seokjin hugged his biggest fanboy. Yoongi looked over at you in confusion and frustration. Why was Jinyo hugging Seokjin instead of him? It was pretty funny to see that reaction coming from your friend. In that moment, music began playing. You turned your head to see Hoseok turning on the stereo. The party was going to happen even if BTS didn't win the contest. Before anything could properly start, Ms. Min gasped as she rushed over to Hoseok. The popular boy was confused as to why she was acting like this.

"Oh goodness, how do I get this to work?" Ms. Min huffed, pulling out her phone.

"I can help." Mom walked over.

"You're young." Mrs. Park tapped Ms. Jeon's shoulder. She laughed right away and disagreed. Walking over to your Mom and Ms. Min, you checked to see what they were doing. Hoseok stood awkwardly while you realized what they were planning. Mom helped Ms. Min figure out how to face call Ms. Jung. It rang before she finally answered, smiling to see the other moms.

"I saw the contest! What a wild show!" She laughed. Hoseok's eyes widened to hear his mother's voice. Ms. Min turned her phone around so Hoseok could see his mom. "Hoseokie! I saw your performance once again and voted! Darn shame you boys had to be disqualified though."

"Eomma..." Hoseok looked like he wanted to cry. "...I tried."

"And I'm proud." Ms. Jung assured him. Hoseok slowly went down on his knees. Everyone at the party was confused until they saw Hoseok bowing down on the ground. Ms. Min moved her phone to let Ms. Jung see what her son was doing. Ms. Jung sighed right away.

"Thank you for everything, Eomma."

"Get up! You're making this awkward for me...I have all these new friends." Ms. Jung giggled. Hoseok looked up, sighing at the fact that Ms. Jung didn't want to accept his grateful bow. It didn't take long for him to laugh with his mother. It was time to start the party!

Despite not winning a trophy, it still felt like you guys won from the way everyone was acting. Everyone praised the hard work that you and the boys put into the contest. They were impressed and all the parents were accepting of the passion each of the boys had. Things were going great. Hoseok ended up face calling his mom so he could talk to her during the entire party. She happily listened as he talked about everything he could. Yoongi was eating food with his mom and Mr. Yoo. They were having a normal conversation until Yoongi's brows puckered. He slowly turned to face them as he asked them if today was their three-year anniversary of being together. Mr. Yoo and Ms. Min were shocked he would care to bring it up before they slowly realized he was right.

Jimin was talking all about the contest and what happened backstage. His parents were eating it up. The little boy obviously enjoyed the attention. Talking as if he was a big star who knew all the industry secrets. Taehyung and Namjoon were playing a game together on the floor, the two laughing any time Namjoon lost. It looked like Taehyung was having a long winning streak. Jungkook was spending time with his mom, happily telling her about the new friend he made called Dylan. Seokjin was drinking soda with the fanboys. They were all talking about the coincidence of meeting again and exchanging numbers. Jinyo was especially happy to meet Seokjin again. Jinyo even bravely asked if Seokjin was single to which the teacher spit out some of his drink.

Then there was you with your two parents. Mom was enjoying the atmosphere of the party. She watched all of the boys that you've been spending your time with. She found the zoo cute and once she found out Seokjin was your math teacher, she laughed for the longest time. That's when she admitted that you might be living a wilder life than she was at your age. You strongly disagreed. Then she focused on Hoseok, Yoongi, and Namjoon. She liked all of them and you were happy about that. Lastly, Dad had remained quiet. The only sound he ever made was when he occasionally blew his party horn, but even that sounded sad.

"Everything okay, Appa?" You asked. His eyes shifted over to you as he blew his party horn again.

"Stop that." Mom tugged it away from his mouth. Dad let out a heavy sigh the second she did that.

"I'm okay, Gum Drop." Dad nodded slowly, basically saying 'more or less'. "I just wish you hadn't lied, but I understand that with the way I was acting...I made you lie."

"Appa—"

"No, I'm going to change!" Dad balled his hands into fists. "I'll be ready for whenever you do find the one! You're a flower in blooming!"

"Thanks, Appa." You laughed at his sudden comment. Mom playfully shook her head before pointing behind you. Turning around, you saw that Hoseok had finished the call with his mom. Now he was patiently waiting to have a chance to speak with you. He rubbed his arm and you waved to your parents. "Hoseok! What's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted to talk to you guys." Hoseok smiled.

"We should get the others and walk around the neighborhood." You grinned. Hoseok liked that idea and automatically went over to tell Namjoon the plan. The president stood up, putting his game with Taehyung on hold. Meanwhile, you walked over to Yoongi and politely asked if he could join you guys on a walk. They didn't mind at all, letting Yoongi go with you guys. Yoongi curiously knitted his brows together as he saw Hoseok and Namjoon waiting for you guys at the door. You were about to leave until you remembered that you left your phone with your parents. Already, you could see your Mom holding it up in her hands. You'll be just a minute. The boys let you go as they talked amongst themselves, their eyes drifting over to Ms. Jeon who've they never met until today.

"So that's Jungkook's mom?" Namjoon sighed.

"It appears so..." Yoongi sucked in a breath.

"We're just gonna beat around the bush and not say how hot she is?" Hoseok laughed. The two boys snickered, playfully smacking him. They could all agree that Ms. Jeon was quite the beauty herself. And almost as if by mentioning Ms. Jeon, a mouse appeared behind them.

"She's five years older than me." Seokjin aggressively smiled. "If you idiots think you can be Jungkook's stepfather then go ahead, but let me tell you this? Don't f*cking try." He hissed and glared at the three boys who were thoroughly terrified. You walked over, seeing what was going on and laughed.

"Wow...isn't she too old for you boys?" You playfully winked. They glared at you, knowing you were taking revenge.

"Seokjinnie! Want to join?" Jinyo happily waved the handsome male over. Somehow Taehyung had roped Jinyo into a game of uno. Seokjin was about to decline until Taehyung scoffed, saying that Seokjin was just going to lose anyway. Seokjin gasped and marched over, angrily grabbing his own set of cards. While he did that, Jinyo and Taehyung smirked at each other.

"Seokjinnie?" Yoongi frowned.

The fanboys only spoke briefly with Yoongi to congratulate and smother him with love. Then they started talking with Seokjin and now this. Jaegyu was speaking to your parents now, happily tugging Ms. Min and Mr. Yoo into the conversation. Then Junsuh was speaking to Ms. Jeon, telling her about how he remembers Jungkook from the past. Junsuh smiled softly and petted the bunny's head. Jungkook didn't mind Junsuh until he saw his mom doing the strange giggle around the typically silent man. You laughed, walking out the front door. Namjoon shook his head and pushed the two rappers out. It was nighttime now, only the streetlamps illuminating the streets. It seemed like others in the neighborhood were already asleep. It felt like this night was just for you four as you all walked down the dark street.

"We didn't win, but...I'm still happy." Hoseok smiled to himself. "Is that strange?"

"I feel the same way." Namjoon chuckled.

"I could still use a trophy." Yoongi sighed.

"Of course, you could." You laughed. The other boys laughed with you while Yoongi remained serious.

The four of you slowly walked down the streets, joking around and talking about the contest. All of you felt satisfied with yourselves for putting so much effort into the contest. You never thought you could ever do something as big as that. Nothing important as that. Looking back at all the work you guys put into it, you were amazed. Someone like you was capable of that? You almost didn't realize the trouble due to how fun it all was. It was the best experience even if there were ups and downs. You'll never trade it for anything in the world. Thanks to these boys and that contest...you found your passion. Helping others achieve their dreams was the best feeling in the world.

The rappers were happy for you. They still had their passion burning hotter than ever inside of them. This contest didn't crush their hopes and dreams. They were determined to give it a shot again. No matter how hard it is. They'll do it because they know they have what it takes. This entire contest has been an eye-opening experience. Never would the four of you ever think that you guys would become such close friends. The four of you who came from such different backgrounds managing to pull all this off? It was still mind blowing in your opinion. Who would have thought that tutoring would turn into endless chasing to make a dream come true?

As you guys reached the end of the street, the four of you stared off into the dark. Not knowing what else was out there and the paths you guys would take later on in life. But since you had your friends with you, it wasn't that scary anymore. You didn't feel lost either. They were your real friends. Your true friends. People who were more than the labels of judgement that were placed on them. Anyone to trust those labels and accept them as facts are fools. How can a person fall under a category and check all the boxes? They were people too. Everyone is different including you so you should have known better in the beginning, but you're glad you learned in the end.

Namjoon isn't just the top student and strict class president. He's clumsy! He's a dork who loves his little brother a lot. He enjoys studying, sure, but he also loves music. He loves rapping and hopes to make a career out of writing lyrics and performing them for people. Yoongi isn't just the delinquent. Even if he isn't afraid to cause trouble and has done so in the past, he's passionate about his dreams. He's gentle towards his mother and takes care of his friends dearly. Yoongi can be silly and awkward. Yoongi has the dream to be successful in doing what he loves. Hoseok isn't just the bubbly popular boy. He struggles through hardships and is just a positive thinker. That doesn't make him dumb or naïve. Hoseok knows what he needs to do in life. He loves to dance, support his friends, and cares for his mother. Hoseok is someone who isn't afraid to make a dream into reality.

They're all your friends and you love them so much.

"Should we head back?" Namjoon asked as a car passed by.

"No...I want to stay standing here." Yoongi closed his eyes, appreciating the cold breeze of the night. Namjoon grinned and did the same. The two boys who used to believe they would never have anything in common. How wrong could they be?

"Honestly, who would have thought we would all be friends?" You smiled.

"Right?" Yoongi chuckled.

"I figured we could all get along but not to this extent," Hoseok stated as he stared up at the night sky.

"I believe we all had to meet like destiny...our passion wouldn't be this strong if we hadn't met." Namjoon nodded to his words.

"D*mn. You think so?" Hoseok grinned.

"I'm just glad we didn't listen to those labels for long." Yoongi sighed with a peaceful smile. "F*ck labels. What we all have together is special!"

"You're exactly right." You giggled, shoving your hands into your sweater pockets. It was getting colder now as the night continued. You still wanted to enjoy this moment with your friends as you guys stared off into the dark neighborhood, feeling at home with each other. "_A Passion Beyond Labels._"


	61. || Author's Note ||

We have finally reached the end of A Passion Beyond Labels! I can't believe it if I'm being honest. This is my third story and I'm just in shock that I'm actually completing my to-write list and just accomplishing my goals. I never thought I would be able to write this much. Seriously, I never thought I would be capable of the word count that my BTS related stories have. It's still super crazy to me but it makes me so happy. I'm really proud of myself since I feel like my writing has come a long way! Then it just makes me super happy to have you guys sticking around and reading all my works and telling me you'll stick around for my next one even though there's a long wait for it.

For the new people here who aren't aware of my writing process, I like to prewrite half of the story. 30-35 chapters before I finally post the first chapter. That way I can have regular updates and eventually I update every day. That's how I'm able to keep up easily with less stress on my part and for more enjoyment on yours. The thing with this method though is that once I finish a story, it takes me a couple months to prepare the chapters for my next story. It's easier in the summer, but I'm back in school now which takes my time away. I still try my hardest to keep up with my writing. I write at school, even using the school computers when I can lol.

I'm planning on doing a solo member x reader next. It won't be a BTS x Reader so I don't know if you'll stick around to read that if he's not your bias. I hope you do anyway for the storytelling and for the member. We love all seven but I get it if you pass on the solo x reader's that I'll be writing. I have my to-write list on my website which you guys should check out. The link is down in my bio I'm pretty sure. Not much happens there but it's worth checking out since you might see a new story added to the to-write list one day. Plus, not gonna lie...I do state stuff on there that I don't say on wattpad or quotev. Then I also suggest following me on instagram @ _dina_soar because it can get chaotic. I will do a live on the occasion and then I say stuff like "want me to double update? Wanna know a secret about this story? Ask me question about a story and I won't hold back" and yeah. I basically have no filter on instagram and you'll be able to figure out things. I have trouble keeping secrets to myself when it comes to my writing and the people who follow me on there have learned that very quickly lmao.

Another thing I noticed with instagram is how many of you feel more comfortable messaging me privately there. I don't know if wattpad/quotev is intimidating, but I've gotten to talk to a good handful of you and it makes me so happy. I feel like I've gotten closer to you guys where we're just yelling at each other about dumb stuff, about my chapters, or other things. There's a couple people who come to mind when I think about instagram dms but I guess I won't flat out state who for privacy reasons. I don't know. Maybe you guys message me on there because your username isn't the same on wattpad and it makes you less anxious?? Whatever it is, I'll respect it!

Aside from instagram, I want to get down to business and talk about things when it came to the story!! The amount of times I rewrote certain scenes in the beginning drove me crazy! I was just struggling in the beginning for some reason but I eventually got over it. Next, the rap battle. We just have to talk about the rap battle that occured between Yoongi and Namjoon. For one thing...THEY TOOK ME FOREVER. Literally, writing the chapter was going smoothly and then I had to take almost half an hour just writing those dang lyrics and hoping they were decent. Since they took me so long, I was proud of them especially with how they ended. I prefer Namjoon's rap though ;;w;; either way, I'm so thrilled you guys hyped it up and were losing it in the comment sections. That made me feel so much better since I thought at least one person would be like "this is cRAP" owo that didn't happen or hasn't happened yet. But I'm working on that self esteem of mine uwu I worked hard on that and we're going to have to deal with that rap so tough to anyone who didn't like it.

OH! And let's talk about the whole manager of BTS concept! That's not anything new, but when I was writing it, BTS World came out and I was screaming. I didn't copy BTS World and I only found out about the game I think two weeks before it was released?? Not quite sure, but just know I was ready to throw hands. Just kidding lol. I also think since there was only three boys to make Reader fall in love with and three to fall for her, it was a lot easier. The only thing that left me shook was how long this story turned out to be. But it's better if I don't rush it.

Other factors in the story that I feel are important to talk about are the parents in the story and how parenting is handled. I got advice from an 'expert' (my friend) who is lowkey in a similar situation as Yoongi and I just wanted to know how to write a character who wasn't happy about this new man in his life who's only there because of his mom. I wanted to describe how it felt to not feel any attachment towards this guy even if he makes his mom happy and isn't inherently a bad person. I did my best with writing Yoongi's emotions towards Mr. Yoo since I don't have step parents and I didn't want to pull fake feelings from my butt so I talked to someone who has real feelings. That's the thing with me. If there's ever anything serious that I want to delve into, I'll do research but it was hard getting the answers to the exact questions I was asking so that's why I asked a friend. I've said it before and I'll say it again! I like writing life. I like writing scenarios that are realistic and something people struggle with. It was a little hard doing that in Era without using powers as a metaphor for something else at times. So I enjoyed having it be straight forward in Passion just like in Warehouse. I like digging deeper into emotions, setting the mood, writing human interactions and wondering why did they respond that way and their reasons for it. Just writing life is fun, but I'll always try my hardest to take topics seriously.

Another thing with parents in Passion is that I tried my hardest not to make them these cruel monsters like I have in the past. I swear, I tried my hardest and I honestly think they're all pretty decent in here. Now before any of you snap about Namjoon's parents...um, they could improve on their priorities and Namjoon's mom actually broke his microphone in real life. She also broke his computer in real life just so he couldn't produce music, but I didn't go that far in my story. ANYWAY, I think the parents are a lot better in here and I really wanted to get into the topic of parents not supporting dreams. There were three types of parents. Ms. Jung who was already supportive, Ms. Min who took some convincing, and Mrs. Kim who wasn't budging without seeing success. I want to talk about Ms. Min and Mr. Yoo. Though they didn't support Yoongi's dream, I wanted to prove that that doesn't mean they're bad parents or people. Ms. Min obviously loves her son even if she is scared to let him just go for a risky career. Even if they don't support which can be one of the toughest things to deal with since they're your family and you want them to support, that doesn't always mean they're awful parents. I didn't want the parents to be seen in a bad light and for people to always make them look like the bad guys for saying 'no'. Though every case is different, I'm just speaking for Yoongi's and with his mom and Mr. Yoo.

Now I want to get into the MEAT of this author's note. Nice and crispy? nO. CRUNCHY. Ignore me, I'm being an idiot lmao. Anyway! So D-Crunch! They're a group that I stan very much and love to pieces! I'm older than two members and that's freaking weird to me, but we're still living. I just wanted to talk about why I put them in the story in the first place and about them in real life. I think an important thing to state above all else is that D-Crunch was the underdog in this story. Not BTS. Which might be crazy sounding to you guys, but yeah. D-Crunch were the underdogs compared to BTS and I hoped I portrayed that well. Next, I just want to state that my bias is Hyunoh and my bias wrecker is Hyunwook hehe thOUGH. Hyunho and Minhyuk are also freaking adorable and fine too! But then Jeongseung and Chanyoung tho--it's this whole thing. I honestly love them all and I wanted to find a way to promote them properly, give them the spot light, and hopefully give their songs a couple more listens. Even if you don't stan or aren't into their music, I do hope you remember their name :)

I also love that I'm considered one of their top fans on Facebook lmao.

So as you can tell, I stan this group and love them a lot. I discovered them two weeks after they debuted. You know those kpop news channels on youtube that only play elevator music and show pictures? That's how I discovered them because their debut wasn't received too well. They were getting criticism for using too much English in their debut song, they were being childishly called out for plagiarism (which isn't true), and the main reason I discovered them was because the video was titled something along the lines of rookie idol group receives hate for calling BTS their role models. The title wasn't that long but it was basically that! Anyway, D-Crunch was saying that they look up to BTS and would love to be like them, as respected artists, but got hate for it since people were taking it the wrong way. I listened to their first two songs and liked them! I figured I would support casually and keep an eye on them. Then they came out with Stealer and by then I was more hooked since four more songs! Then they came out with four more songs and oooh, your girl is a strong stan now! I even wrote them in here to promote them! Hehe, that wasn't my only reason. I needed an idol group that wasn't too famous and didn't necessarily reach BTS's level, but were still good. I don't really stan much groups so my options were very limited. I love D-Crunch though so it worked out in my favor! I've been wanting to write them forever but I was too nervous to write NINE boys with clear personalities. That's why I wrote Heechul in Era to see how people handled another kpop idol in my work and if I could actually pull off writing someone who wasn't a part of BTS.

I'm a lot more comfortable now and I'm excited to write other idols I enjoy in my future works from now on! I'm so glad my experimenting worked out! I was so nervous that you guys would hate D-Crunch since they're rivals, but you guys were pretty chill with them. Thank you! I especially thank you guys for your patience with Reader having a crush on Hyunho despite this being a BTS Rap line x Reader. I'm going to be real with you as the author of this story! READER ONLY HAVING CRUSHES ON BTS IS BS. It's out there! In the past, I was so worried to make Reader act a certain way because I didn't want her to get hate. I never like it when Reader gets hate because she's supposed to be you guys and even if you don't see yourself as her, be kind. Please. This goes for other characters in the story too. It feels so awkward receiving incredibly aggressive and violent messages aimed towards a certain character. They're never gonna read it and it's only me reading it. It's just awkward even if I understand why you hate them. I feel like Reader in Warehouse was very simple. Likeable enough to where she wouldn't get hate and then in Era, I went a little further by making her have odd humor. Then I went all out for Passion with making her lose her temper, have constant crushes, adoring cute things, and making her a mom friend (which wasn't intended). I feel this Reader in Passion is very well rounded! She was cold in the beginning a bit but she became nice and happy as she made friends. True friends~! It made more confident in going all out for my next Reader in my future story. She's going to be...interesting hehe.

Friendship is so important to me. Much more than romance lmao. I'm a sucker for the power of friendship theme so you know that My Little Pony was my junk back in the day! Loved that show haha. I wrote so many characters in this story who just are extreme pals. Yoongi's fanboys are the biggest examples of selfless love and support. I love them and I'm glad you guys liked them! I didn't expect to enjoy writing them so much. The thing that also drives wild though is that, for no reason, one day I was like 'Jinyo would be cute with Junsuh'. Which. What's wrong with me? So if you look back, Jinyo is very affectionate with Junsuh because I'm a weirdo and that ship is nonexistent and will never happen. Not canon lol. But I will say this! Jinyo is bisexual. Anywho, don't be afraid to befriend people who are different from you. Don't judge people by their cover/labels. Though I know that's hard. Be open minded at least and learn who to trust. Sometimes learning who to trust is easy for some while others get repeatedly hurt. I'm wishing the best for you guys and hope my attempts at leaving lessons leave an impact on you. Even if it's just a dent.

The only romance worth talking about was Mrs. Cha and Mr. Cha oml. I really liked writing Reader's Mom and Dad. Especially the interaction between her parents seemed so sweet. I just loved the Dad being this total softie while the Mom was the tough one. Then he called her 'noona' and AGH. I love them. I also wanted to discuss the fact that some of y'all took a while to see how cruel Namjoon was being to Taehyung in the beginning smh. Quotev was like 'he's kinda mean' and y'all were like 'uwu' which was fiNE BUT I WAS OUTRAGED. AS A LITTLE SISTER TO THREE OLDER SIBLINGS, I HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY. TREAT US YOUNGER SIBLINGS KINDLY PLEASE. ;;w;; I remember in second grade, we had to write a hero essay and I wrote it about my older sister. I would always talk about her to everyone because I had no friends, but I had my sister. I even wrote her down as one of the things I'm grateful for for Thanksgiving. And you know what? My sister was mean to me (can't remember why) but she told me to stop talking about her to all the kids in my grade qwq it still hurts me to this day and whenever I mention it (from pUre rage), she's so confused on why I idolized her. Either way, be nice to your young siblings. We annoy you because we love you uwu.

Now I figure is the time to talk about the deep and serious stuff. In my Era author's note, I admitted that I hadn't been taking care of myself. I was managing school, theatre, dog walking, and writing at the same time. It was a lot and that led to me to getting sick twice. I can tell you now that I drink more water and I actually take care of myself better too! I'm much happier and I was lucky to finish writing Passion during the summer. School wasn't a problem for me at all! But that's a lie at the same time. I started writing Passion during April I believe and I was doing all my responsibilities I listed earlier. One day I had a bad panic attack about death. I'm petrified and if I think about it too much, I get horrible panic attacks. I could usually calm down before anything got too serious, but one day it just hit me really bad. Worse than ever before to the point where I was thinking about it constantly. It didn't help that one of the dogs I had been walking passed away literally a day later. It was hard to focus in class since I felt my mind was out of my body. Nothing felt real. I was ready to cry at any second and it didn't help that we were doing tech week for our play at school!

For anyone who knows anything about tech week, it's awful. I personally hate it. I'm at school from 7am to 2pm in the afternoon. I quickly dog walk and return to school at 3:30pm and I have to stay there until 10pm. I really just wanted to be home at that time. While everyone else was having fun, I was just out of it. Luckily though, I had something to look forward to. Something to keep me sane which was, hopefully not silly as it sounds, a BTS concert. My friend and I were going to see BTS live together for the first time on May 4th, 2019. I didn't want to think about my panic attacks even when my friend was straightening her hair and getting ready, I was doing my best to think about BTS. And that's what did the trick. Seeing BTS live was a life changing experience that I hope all of you will get to have if you haven't already. After the BTS concert, I felt serene. Just this peace that even if I can't escape the unknown, I'll be fine. Stop worrying about that and try to live life now. I haven't had a panic attack about death since but it still makes me a teeny bit nervous. Even writing this all down makes me nervous. It's just something I tend to avoid which is hard. Remember when Reader was having a panic attack about failing her math test and Hoseok cheered her up with that game? I was struggling to write with my state of mind at the time and decided to describe a panic attack. What Reader felt was how I did and that little app that Hoseok had her play is what I used to calm me down.

I know this author's note is already super long but I feel like this stuff is important. I barely tell you guys anything when I post the chapters. I write it all in a different time from when you guys actually see it posted. I have a lot to say so please bare with me unless you want to skip it all. That's fine too. But just one last thing about this serious topic. Writing Ms. Jung's character was a little tough for me since she had death as a real worry. It could happen at any second for her and that's what made me so nervous, but I made her strong. I made sure that she still lived her life with a smile and told people to sing/dance even at her funeral. This story has a lot of meaning to me with how much personal feelings I poured into it. I ranted about labels, fake friends, the education system, and the struggle of getting your parents to accept your dreams. I was a lot more straight forward with my issues in this story just like in Warehouse which I enjoyed. I didn't have to make powers a metaphor for something else at times anymore lol. I remember at the start of writing Passion, I had to remind myself that Namjoon does not have telekinesis anymore.

But speaking of metaphors~!! I had a bunch of things hidden in Passion. I did a lot of things that normal people wouldn't do because it's fun! One day in English class, we were analyzing The Great Gatsby and my teacher stated that each color had meaning. A girl in my class complained, 'who would purposely write colors with meaning?' and just the usual argument of our english teacher making us over analyze. I thought to myself though...maybe I should do that!! I revealed the colors during an Instagram live and then just never talked about it again lol. So, not every time the color shows up it will automatically mean something. Just sometimes.

Red= Lying, secrets (Reader lying to Yoongi, eating a red strawberry and her fingers were left stained red)

Orange= Awkward (Hoseok's orange beanie when talking to Reader or when I described blushes as 'orange')

Yellow= Forgiving (Hoseok's hoodie that he wears when Reader is finally being kinder to him)

Green= Hidden truth, near another rap member (Namjoon's green notebook is the secret to his truth)

Blue = Honesty, open truth (Blue lighting used for when Namjoon and Yoongi first see each other at Midnight Measure. It's their honest selves)

Purple = Love (First time Suga performs he gets purple lighting at the end, Namjoon uses teacups with purple floral designs, Hoseok's crutches are purple)

Who does this?? What kind of animal am I? AND SPEAKING OF ANIMALS uwu

Taehyung-puppy: Trustworthy, loyal, loving

Jimin-baby chick: Childish insecurity

Jungkook-bunny: Faithfulness

Some of them were based off what they symbolize in dreams or the usual connotations associated with those animals. That's why they were constantly described as such and sometimes their meaning would show in their character :)

Hoseok did a freestyle rap about pineapples. Briefly mentioned in one sentence only but pineapples sometimes symbolize friendship and warmth. Maybe there's more, but I'm just forgetting...though I would say to remember which animal Hoseok was watching when Ms. Min and Yoongi were having their emotional moment together.

I also wanted to thank specific people for reading my story. The ones who mainly caught my eye for keeping up with my daily updates and leaving comments about my stories that helped me know what was going on through your minds. I'm truly grateful! Unfortunately, there are a lot of you so I'm just going to name you, but just know that you're special to me~

As always, my notes are super long for no reason. As if writing three stories with over 300k words isn't enough XD it certainly will never be! I'm going to keep writing for as long as I please and trust me, I have so many ideas that aren't even listed on my website. I'm going to keep writing until I get those done and I will most likely come up with more along the way because I'm an animal with issues. ANYWAY! Thank you.

For everything <3

🐇🐶🐥🦅🦊🐯🐭


	62. Simple

**Yoongi Bonus Ending**

By the end of the party, you had come to terms with your feelings. The three boys took you back to Namjoon's house. Namjoon dragged Hoseok to help him stop Seokjin and Taehyung from strangling each other. Jinyo was overwhelmed, trying to stop it. Junsuh and Jaegyu weren't sure they wanted to get involved. The rest of the parents were confused about Seokjin's behavior, but it seemed like your Mom had money on Taehyung winning. Either way, the two were plucked apart eventually to your mother's dismay. Meanwhile that all happened, you followed Yoongi over to his mom and Mr. Yoo. It seemed like Yoongi didn't mind people referring to Mr. Yoo as his stepfather anymore, but still wanted to keep some slight distance.

You ended up spending a majority of the party with Yoongi after that. Whether it be talking with his family or eating snacks with him in the corner. Yoongi and you spent time together just like when you first came to Sehwang. He was your first friend after all. It felt natural to spend time with him even though he did tease you a lot. What a little punk. He's lucky that you like him. That's what you thought to yourself before realizing the promise you made to yourself. You'll figure out your feelings once the contest is over. As you spoke to Yoongi, you thought about it seriously.

There was nothing stopping you from accepting the fact that your heart kept leaning towards him. Even when you had moments with the other boys, Yoongi made your heart race more. His face would stay longer in your mind. He affected you more than you would have liked. When Hyunho asked you out, you knew you couldn't accept. Not with Yoongi being more than a crush. It was strange. If Yoongi wasn't a crush then what was he? You were stuck on those thoughts as your parents drove back home. Sitting in the back seat, you stared out the window imagining what it would be like to walk next to Min Yoongi as his girlfriend.

These thoughts were going to be the death of you. As Mom drove back home, Dad was worried about you. Once again you were squealing in the back seat and thinking about giving Yoongi a lunch box with a heart made out of food. Wouldn't the be cute? It so would be! Dad asked if you were okay while Mom told him that you were fine. You just found out the one you wanted to be with at the moment. How your Mom always knew before you is beyond you. Dad asked if what she was saying was true. Biting your lip, you mumbled that you had Yoongi on your mind. Mom and Dad glanced at each other, smiling to themselves. They didn't say anything to your surprise. You thought they would tease you or cry about it. Instead, Mom and Dad kept their eyes on the road.

They're weird so you'll let it slide. For now, you were going to figure out a way to get Yoongi to become your boyfriend. It probably won't be too hard. At least you hope. Blushing to yourself, you remembered all the times that Yoongi has given you mixed messages. If he truly meant his flirting then you hope what you're about to do is going to work. Since spring break has started, you were just going to rest today. But tomorrow is when the plan goes into effect! You texted Yoongi on Sunday, asking if he wanted to go to Midnight Measure. Maybe something to get you guys back into the old schedule of sneaking out at midnight. Yoongi immediately accepted with enthusiasm. He was ready to get back into it and you were happy about that.

Operation confess to Yoongi was in progress! The plan was to confess to him at the place where he finally let you know the most important secret about himself. Yoongi didn't have a friend to talk to about where he sneaked off to. He separated the rest of his life from his passion. He couldn't mention it to his parents at the time and his fanboys were all his hyungs who had their own jobs and responsibilities once they left the building. You were the first person Yoongi truly let himself be vulnerable to and you were incredibly grateful to him for that. Out of that, you've gained one of the best friends in the entire world who you'll gladly support to the end.

In preparation for the special event today, you made sure to dress nice. It was going to be cold, but you still wanted to look good. You had to get points for that. While Mom and Dad were sleeping in their room, you were awake and playing with your stuffed animals until Yoongi tapped on your bedroom window. He gave you a gummy smile that he was clearly trying not to turn into a smirk. What did he have to smirk about? Putting on your coat, you crawled out the window with him. His motorbike was already waiting for the two of you to hop on. You were ready to go, but Yoongi was refusing to go down the pipe.

"What's wrong?" You frowned.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong at all." Yoongi chuckled as he leaned closer to you. "I'm just flattered you invited only me. I was expecting to meet the others here."

"Oh! Well..." You blushed, shrugging at his comment. You couldn't come up with a clever lie without admitting your feelings earlier than you wanted to. The night hasn't even properly begun! Yoongi playfully punched your shoulder and slid down the pipeline.

"I'm just messing with you!" He winked from down on the ground. "I know you just want to hear the best rapper from the group."

"You're all great in your own ways." You huffed as you slid down.

"What a mom thing to say." Yoongi rolled his eyes. Again with the teasing. You smiled to yourself as you flicked the back of his head. Yoongi faked pain as he made his way to his motorbike.

Just being with him was making you happy. It was strange how one person can make you smile so much. Even if he sometimes gets on your nerves, you couldn't help wanting to be with him even more. Ever since you came to terms with your feelings with Yoongi, you've let yourself fall hard. Harder than you intended, but that's okay. You'll make it work! Sitting on the back of the bike, you wrap your arms around Yoongi's waist. The two of you sped through the streets as he headed in the direction of Midnight Measure. Soon he slowed down in front of the entrance of the underground building, leaving his bike parked in the alleyway.

Yoongi instantly took your hand as he rushed down the steps. He was showing the same excitement he did back from the beginning. Giggling as he brought you inside the warm building, the two of you looked right away for his fanboys. They had to be around here somewhere. They basically live here! The last you guys saw them was at the party at Namjoon's house. Jinyo was rejected for the third time in his life by Seokjin, Jaegyu became friends with your Mom strangely enough, and Junsuh exchanged numbers with Ms. Jeon. As you went on your toes, Yoongi tapped your shoulder. He found them all talking at the bar with drinks. The two of you walked over and Jaegyu was the first to notice.

"Oh hell yeah! Are you gonna rap?" Jaegyu grinned. Jinyo and Junsuh turned around, growing excited to see Yoongi standing there confidently.

"Why else do I come here?" Yoongi smirked. "I'll go sign up for the contest. I feel like winning for once."

"You got this!!" Jinyo clapped his hands. Yoongi walked off in the direction of the MC. That left you smiling at the fanboys. Junsuh nudged his head to the open seat next to him. Taking a seat, you excitedly looked at the three gentlemen.

"So? What's been going on?" You grinned.

"I convinced your Eomma to get a tattoo from me later. It wasn't too hard actually considering she already has three." Jaegyu shrugged, taking a sip of his beverage. You furrowed your brows at his words.

"She has tattoos? Three??" You blinked.

"Do you anything about your mother?" Jaegyu tilted his head.

"Honestly...when I think I do, I quickly learn that I don't." You sighed. Jaegyu laughed at your answer and it was true. If Mom told you she crashed her car into a bank when she was younger, you'd believe her. There's always something new to learn about your Mom.

"Well, I think we should talk about how Junsuh is probably gonna get a girlfriend soon." Jaegyu wiggled his eyes brows. You looked at the tall male who was incredibly confused. He swallowed his drink, not understanding what his friend was saying.

"Girlfriend? Who?" Junsuh wanted answers. What? Even Jinyo was shocked with the way Junsuh was acting. He literally spent a majority of the night with Ms. Jeon and Jungkook.

"Seokjin's noona! Who else??" Jinyo huffed.

"Is...is she interested in me?" Junsuh looked more baffled.

"Oh my God, she literally did the giggle." You couldn't believe him. Jinyo and you were shaking your heads while Jaegyu patted the man's back.

"Well, hey! You can't blame him for being oblivious to a woman's flirting when he's only been hit on by a man for years now." Jaegyu glanced at Jinyo before taking another gulp of his drink.

"You wanna fight!?" Jinyo almost stood up until Jaegyu cracked his neck. He'd be ready to break Jinyo in two. The smaller male whistled as he looked the other direction. Junsuh sighed, deep in his own thoughts now. If he does date Ms. Jeon then he needs to take in consideration that Jungkook exists. He's very important to her life and Jungkook's feelings should be important to him too.

Junsuh didn't talk after that. He only ended up talking through his eyes to his two friends. From what you gathered through the others, it seems like Junsuh was going to talk to Seokjin about what to do. Now that they've met Seokjin again, they were going to stay in contact this time. Seokjin was glad he had friends his own age now. Jinyo was still a fan of Seokjin but wasn't going to push it. He seems to treat Seokjin the same way as Junsuh which is more affectionate than Jaegyu. That's the main difference you've noted. The conversation went on for some time until the MC announced that Suga would be taking the stage. The fanboys quit everything they were doing to give Suga their full attention. It was almost funny how easily they switched.

Whenever Yoongi performed as Suga, he always captivated you and his loyal fanboys. He walked onto the stage with a smirk. He was competing with someone else and you knew that your man had it in the bag. Yoongi had improved a lot on his rapping skills thanks to Namjoon and Hoseok. They've all learned so much together. Now Yoongi also had experience of performing in front of larger crowds. This would be a piece of cake to him. As the night when on, Yoongi was crushing the competition better than ever before. The fanboys were losing it since Yoongi has never survived this long. It was almost five in the morning now. All Yoongi had to do was beat one last rapper and then he won his first rap competition. And that's what he did.

The fanboys had officially lost it. They came running with you to the backroom. Once they saw Suga coming down from the stairs, he was swarmed. Jinyo was already crying about how proud he was. Yoongi had finally grown as a rapper, finding his own unique style and always willing to try something new. Jaegyu was on the verge of tears but was trying to act tough. Junsuh wasn't crying but he did have a small pout. He hugged Yoongi, crushing the shorter male to show how happy he was. Yoongi did his best to smile through the hug despite him looking like Junsuh just bursted all his organs.

"You did very good." Junsuh set down Yoongi who stumbled.

"T-Thanks, Hyung." Yoongi tried to catch his breath.

"Can I g-get a picture with you?" Jinyo sniffled.

"I want one too!" Jaegyu took out his phone. Yoongi chuckled at his hyung's behavior. Sometimes it still shocked him with how supportive they were. Each of them took a photo with Yoongi before taking a group shot. Something so Yoongi knows he had fans before he was famous. Yoongi assured them that he wouldn't forget them. He laughed and soon turned over to face you.

"I'm so proud of you, Oppa!" You ran to hug him. Yoongi instantly locked his arms around your body, holding you tight against him. He couldn't believe he finally beat everyone and won first. It was worth the lack of sleep. The fanboys grew quiet to hear you refer to Yoongi as 'oppa'. They thought that was over since they found out you guys weren't actually dating. You're hoping to change that soon.

"I'd love to celebrate here longer with my hyungs and you, Baby girl." Yoongi looked down at you. "But I have to take you home before your parents find out."

"Yeah, we should probably head back now." You nodded. Yoongi said his goodbyes with the fanboys. They all waved while Jinyo kept an interested eye on the two of you. The both of you left the underground building, walking up the stairs. Yoongi went up to his motorbike right away. He was about to put on his helmet until you snatched it from him. He raised a brow at you, smiling as you walked around the alley way. "I have something I want to tell you."

"Oh yeah?" Yoongi chuckled, following you.

"Something happened on the day of the final round," You started. Yoongi listened in with his hands in his pockets. "Hyunho asked me out on a date after his group received the trophy."

"Oh..." Yoongi did his best not to growl. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I said no to him." You sighed. Yoongi grinned before his brows puckered again. "Mainly because I'm in love with someone else." You stopped walking to face the redhead. Yoongi was silent as you handed back his purple helmet. He didn't even blink while you kept eye contact with him. "Yoongi, I love—"

"Why?" Yoongi gripped his helmet tightly. "Wait...who? Me?" Yoongi searched your eyes as you nodded. "R-Really?"

"I love—"

"(F/n)—"

"Let me finish!" You stomped your foot. He's ruining the moment! Yoongi laughed as his entire face turned bright pink. Your face was on fire too. Not to mention, your stomach was doing acrobatics. "I love you! And I'd really like it if you became my boyfriend...and stuff."

"Oh, I'm here for the stuff." Yoongi grinned. He took a step closer to you, leaning down to peck your lips. Holy sh*t. Yoongi was embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned around to face his bike. No way! You instantly grabbed his wrist, tugging him back over to you. He dropped his helmet in the process as you pulled him into a kiss. Yoongi was shocked at first before he let himself enjoy the feeling of his lips against yours. With one hand around his wrist, the other was on the back of his head. Yoongi let his free arm wrap around your waist as he began to open his mouth during the kiss.

"Whoa-ho-ho!! You kids better get home!" Jaegyu's voice shouted.

"I f*cking knew it! I told you that something was gonna go down!" Jinyo squealed. "Did you see him!? Little sh*t is pulling moves!"

"I don't think they're happy that we interrupted..." Junsuh said as you and Yoongi saw them hiding on the stairs of Midnight Measure. Yoongi sighed heavily at his hyungs while you were embarrassed. Jinyo told you to forget they even interrupted. That was a little hard considering they interrupted your first real kiss with a boy.

It was finally time to really go. Yoongi put on his helmet as you sat on the back of his bike. He drove you to your house again as quick as he could. The sky was already turning a couple shades lighter. It wouldn't be long before the sun fully rose. Once the two of you arrived at your place, Yoongi held your hand as he walked you over to the pipeline. So you were officially dating Min Yoongi? It was hard to wipe the smile off your face. Yoongi had his gummy grin on his face too. Before you could let go of his hand to climb up the pipe, he turned you around. Yoongi pressed you against the wall to kiss you one more time. Something about kissing him made you feel like you were lightheaded.

Yoongi soon pulled away, waving goodbye as he went off to his bike. Though you felt weak like jelly, you climbed up the pipeline. Yoongi made sure you got into your room safely before he drove off. You watched him leave through the window. Once he was officially gone, you jumped onto your bed and squealed to all your stuffed animals. You have a boyfriend! You fell asleep happy that day. The plan worked and it was better than you could ever dream of. You slept in since you were on break. There was no school you had to go to.

With all this free time, Yoongi and you hung out almost every day of spring break. The two of you went on dates and sometimes hung out with Namjoon and Hoseok. The only thing with hanging out with your other friends was...they didn't know. You were planning on telling them when you guys get back to school. Mom and Dad already knew that Yoongi was your boyfriend. Mom was super happy to hear the news. Then Dad gave a different reaction from what you were expecting. Yoongi was with you when you told them. Dad stared at Yoongi silently for a couple seconds before rushing to hug the male. Yoongi was confused as Dad told him to protect his princess. That was embarrassing, but a lot better than it could have gone.

Then when Yoongi and you told Ms. Min, she was thrilled. She knew this would happen and couldn't wait to welcome you to the family. Yoongi rolled his eyes, telling his mom that he wasn't even marrying you...yet. Ms. Min and you were jumping around like little girls at a sleepover. Mr. Yoo wished the two of you the best. He didn't say much, but Yoongi appreciated it anyway. The simpler, the better when it came to those two.

Only the parents knew until school finally rolled around. Spring break ended before you knew it. In that short time, Yoongi and you had grown very affectionate with each other. You were surprised with the amount of care he gave you. You honestly believed that you would be the one initiating the hugs and stuff like that. Though you were quickly proved wrong. Yoongi held your hand, hugged you, and gave you little kisses. Only when the two of you were alone. When there were others around, he just stayed by your side and acted as normal except he stared at you warmly without holding back.

When the two of you entered school, it was painfully obvious. Yoongi held your hand on the walk to Mr. Kim's class. Students didn't even have time to talk about the contest once they saw you two. People almost forgot about the contest entirely. You just hoped the stares would die down. Was it so hard to just date peacefully? As Yoongi and you neared the classroom, you saw Namjoon and Hoseok already waiting by the door with other students. Mr. Kim hadn't opened the door yet it seems. Hoseok was the first to notice you two coming over and his eyes quickly dropped down to see the hand holding.

"What's going on here?" Hoseok frowned. Namjoon looked up from his phone to glance at what Hoseok was talking about. Namjoon's eyes widened as Yoongi decided to wrap his arm around your waist instead.

"Wait..." Namjoon noticed the smile on your face. You weren't pushing Yoongi away or reacting negatively.

"We're dating." Yoongi smirked.

"Well, sh*t." Hoseok kicked the ground.

"D*mn, I had a feeling!" Namjoon crossed his arms. "You guys were a lot more touchy when you hung out with us and it was creeping me out."

"Creeping you out?" You laughed.

"Yoongi doesn't really accept our hugs." Hoseok pouted. Namjoon sadly nodded as Yoongi rolled his eyes at them.

"You f*cking idiots." Yoongi walked over to hug them. "At least you guys aren't mad."

"We'll get over it." Namjoon smiled. "We're glad you guys are happy."

"Don't hurt her or else!" Hoseok squeezed the slender male. Yoongi grunted at the lack of air but promised to never cause you any harm. Namjoon and Hoseok were happy with that answer. You were shaking your head at them before noticing someone standing next to you. Glancing at them, you saw Seokjin standing there with his mouth wide open.

"Are...are (F/n) and Yoongi dating!?" Seokjin gasped. The three rappers faced their teacher to nod. Seokjin instantly hugged you out of nowhere. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Mr. Kim." You giggled. It was in that moment that Seokjin realized he was at work. He pulled away, coughing at how many eyes were on him. Not that any of them were surprised. Everyone at this school learned that the handsome man who was in BTS was actually Mr. Kim after all. It was the same person and they somehow didn't think that originally.

School continued on as normal. The only difference was that you got little kisses when Yoongi dropped you off at your classes. Those were easily becoming your favorite part of having a boyfriend. It also helped you tolerate how annoying your classmates could be. At least there was only one month of school left before summer break begins. Then you'll be second years with your friends. You're still surprised you were able to survive this school for this long. It's all thanks to them. Now things are going to be even better with Yoongi holding your hand. After school, the four of you went to Namjoon's house like always.

Namjoon returned to tutoring you guys as finals were going to be at the end of the month. It felt a little sad how things were returning to normal. No more practicing dance moves together for the boys. Seokjin wasn't coming here to hang out like he used to. There was no need when he didn't have to be at rehearsal. During the middle of tutoring, Namjoon even admitted that it felt bittersweet. There was an empty feeling in the four of you. The boys almost wanted to do it all over again even if it was stressful. Even if the same result came out of it. While the four of you were sighing heavily, the front door bursted open with no holding back.

"I'M HOME." Taehyung shouted. That made everyone smile right away. The three boys rushed into the kitchen, hugging their hyungs.

"Did you miss me?" Jimin grinned, sweating lightly. He was back in his ballet outfit, giving his studio his full focus again.

"I always do, Jiminie!" Hoseok hugged the baby chick.

"Hyung-nim! Look at what I drew in art class today!" Jungkook held it up for his hyung to see. Yoongi grinned as he took it into his hands. The bunny was bouncing on his toes before he was pulled into a tight hug. Yoongi kept the drawing in his hand as he wrapped his arms around the bunny. Jungkook was giggling, enjoying affection from his hyung.

"You don't mind if I show my girlfriend?" Yoongi asked.

"Uh, I don't know—wait! Girlfriend!?" Jungkook pulled away with wide eyes. The bunny saw the smile Yoongi was giving you. Instantly, Taehyung and Jimin stopped talking to their hyungs. They faced the couple in the room in shock.

"Noona is dating..." Jimin frowned.

"Yoongi hyung!!" Taehyung pouted, rushing to smack the redhead. "Noona was supposed to date my hyung!!"

"Tae, don't hurt people." Namjoon sighed.

"They're dating, but let's be happy for them." Hoseok smiled, petting his baby chick.

"We would love that." You laughed as Yoongi pushed away an angry puppy. At that point, Jungkook began wrestling with Taehyung to protect his hyung.

To your surprise, Taehyung can put up quite the fight. He lasted longer than you thought he would. It wasn't long before Jungkook took him down though. Now with all the free time Jungkook has again, his mom signed him up taekwondo classes. Jungkook is incredibly athletic and improving rapidly. He's finally able to defend himself without Yoongi's help. Yoongi was proud while Namjoon warned Yoongi not to let his dongsaeng break his little brother. In the end, Jimin and Taehyung sucked it up just like their hyungs. They were sad at first until they saw how much Yoongi was smiling. At that point they knew that this was good for the both of you after all.

From that day forward, things only got better. Yoongi and you were openly dating with everyone supporting the two of you. People at school began focusing on their finals more than you and the rappers too. They needed to keep their scores up to please their parents anyway. That finally let you and your friends continue school peacefully. Principal Yoo and Seokjin didn't have to keep a watchful eye on you guys anymore. Then once school ended, all of you went to Namjoon's house to celebrate. Even Seokjin came and all of you hung out just like old times. You didn't think it would make you emotional at the time, but it just meant so much to you.

The older boys made fun of you for crying like they always did. Luckily, the little zoo were kinder to you and worried that they did something wrong. Seokjin was the only one with sense who knew what you were crying about. He felt good to be back with you guys again. For that entire day, the boys reviewed their dances to see if they remembered anything after taking a month off. Some dances were perfect as if they reviewed it yesterday and then some performances completely fell apart. It was the funniest thing and it warmed your heart a lot. The last day of school was one of the best days ever.

During that summer, you went on a lot more dates with Yoongi. The two of you continued dating all the way until you guys were third years. Hoseok and Namjoon were impressed that Yoongi had managed to stay your boyfriend for so long. Those two would always joke that if you got tired of Yoongi that they were still single. It always got them kicked by Yoongi. Though thankfully, Yoongi and you were still going on strong. You both grew closer if that was even possible in the first place. Yoongi told you everything which you never expected to get from him. Yoongi just trusted you and had trouble keeping secrets from you. That's what caused a big secret that he was keeping with the boys to slip.

Apparently, Namjoon and Hoseok were in on it. Seokjin was the only other person who knew who wasn't a part of the secret. Namjoon and Hoseok almost attacked Yoongi for revealing it to you. They wanted it to be a huge surprise for the graduation party. They were going to announce it together and wanted to see your reaction. Whoops. You told them that you would still act surprised, but that didn't seem to make them happy. The secret was big though and you were so proud of them. Then after you and your friends received your diplomas, it was hard to keep it in any longer. They couldn't wait with how long the graduation ceremony already took.

"I can't believe I graduated Sehwang Academy...me!!" You squealed.

"You were always capable, Sweetie." Mom smiled as she took a picture with you and your Dad. Dad was crying, incredibly proud of your accomplishment and milestone. Dad was saying a lot of things, but it was hard to understand him when he was mainly sobbing. Mom gladly translated it all for you. "He says that he supports you all the way. No matter what you do, he couldn't be more proud. You're one of the loves of his life."

"Aw, Appa..." You pouted. You rushed to hug your sniffling father. He held you tight before pointing behind you. Slowly, you saw Yoongi standing there with a smile. "Yoongi!!" You rushed to him. Yoongi chuckled, the two of you kissing right away. "We did it!"

"We did indeed, Baby girl." Yoongi smirked. "And guess what?"

"What?" You innocently asked.

"Forget about the graduation party for the announcement. I'm telling my family now." Yoongi grinned as he let out a nervous breath. Your eyes widened to hear this from him. He was being serious? What about the surprise? "The others are already telling their family and I can't wait."

"They are?" You furrowed your brows. Looking around, you saw your friends with their own family. Hoseok's mom was in a wheelchair with a nurse by her side. She requested to leave to see her son graduate. It was really hard, but she got hospital permission to leave after being persistent. She was hugging her son tightly, assuming he already told her. Hoseok was crying as he hugged her back. Then there was Taehyung who was now a ninth grader. He was fifteen years old now and it still felt weird to see him older. He was officially taller than you and graduated ninth grade the other day actually. That meant he was going to be a first year in high school. That broke your heart, but you're slowly getting over it. Taehyung was hugging Namjoon tightly and holding up a phone. They were doing a video chat with their parents. It seemed with time and with the news Namjoon had for them, they were able to reconcile.

Then for Yoongi, his stepdad was obviously here already. Principal Yoo was the one to give Yoongi his diploma. It was during the graduation ceremony that many of your classmates found out Yoongi had a connection with the principal. It explained why Yoongi hadn't been expelled and why a majority of them had it rough if they gave Yoongi trouble. They're just lucky they got to graduate! Ms. Min was also here for her son and she was the loudest mom in the crowd. It embarrassed the hell out of Yoongi who didn't want to get too much attention. She hugged Yoongi as soon as she could, giving him a bunch of kisses all over his face. He was still her little baby. Yoongi brought you over to them and you smiled at the faint kiss marks his mother's lipstick had left on his pale cheeks.

"Eomma! Myunghan!" Yoongi wrapped his arm around you. "I have big news to tell you."

"Are you getting married!?" Ms. Min screamed, covering her mouth in shock.

"No!" Yoongi denied her random assumption. You laughed, shaking your head. You don't think that'll be happening for a while. Principal Yoo laughed at his wife's reaction. She was so thrilled and shocked and now she was disappointed. "I just wanted to explain my future to you guys..."

"Have you finally figured it out?" Mr. Yoo carefully asked. Towards the ending of the year, Ms. Min and Mr. Yoo were getting worried about him. They wanted to know his plans and Yoongi only told them not to worry about it. He had it covered. It frustrated them a lot, but they didn't want to fight like they used to. You texted Ms. Min, telling her to trust her son. Now they would finally know.

"Namjoon, Hoseok, and I have all been approached by an entertainment company." Yoongi smiled. Mr. Yoo and Ms. Min stared at him quietly. "They want to sign us to their label and are willing to pay for our education."

"They're going...to p-pay?" Ms. Min looked like she could faint. And she did.

The graduation party was just getting started! It's a good thing Ms. Jung had a nurse with her. Ms. Min was fine in the end. She was super happy to hear that Yoongi's education would be paid for and he would get to do what he loves. Though she did admit that she had a ton of money saved up for him to use for college. Yoongi would still be receiving the money so he could live on his own and take care of himself. The day was a great one. Ms. Jung unfortunately couldn't come to the graduation party. She had a cold and needed to return to the hospital since they only allowed her to be out for a couple hours. Soon all of you went to Yoongi's house for the graduation party. Taehyung had live streamed the ceremony for his friends and the fanboys.

They would have come otherwise, but they promised to set up the party. Seokjin drove the others while you went with Yoongi's family. Your parents would be meeting you over there. They just wanted to give you some more time with Yoongi. As soon as all of you arrived, you guys could hear music playing from Yoongi's house. The front door was open and you were growing exciting. How did they decorate? The party was mainly going to be in Yoongi's backyard. The others were slowly getting out of their cars while you rushed inside. You wanted to see your precious dongsaengs and the lovable fanboys. Making it to the backyard, you smiled to see Jimin trying to put up a decoration.

"Can you even do it?" Jungkook scoffed.

"I got this!" Jimin huffed.

"No, you don't!" Jungkook grabbed it from the chick and set it up himself. Jungkook smirked while Jimin glared at him. "Short @ss."

"Just you wait, Jeon Jungkook! I'll grow taller than you and Taehyung!" Jimin growled. The poor boy was the shorter of his friends. Though he talked a lot about being the tallest back then, life clearly did not work out that way. Jinyo was already looking at Jimin with sympathy and frustration.

"At least you're taller than me!" Jinyo pouted.

"Jinyo's so short that you can accidentally step on him if you're not careful." Jaegyu grinned. Those two were at the table, setting down napkins. Jinyo looked ready to kill his friend for teasing him. Jaegyu just loved calling Jinyo an ant. It wasn't long before Junsuh glared at them to shut up. Once he did, he quickly pointed you out. He was the only one to notice you had arrived. Everyone gasped and ran towards you.

"Noona!! You've graduated Sehwang!" Jimin hugged you tightly.

"We saw the live stream on Jinyo hyung's phone." Jungkook grinned, joining in on the hug.

"When you two boys are done, I need to get in on that hug!" Jinyo crossed his arms. "I need to congratulate her on two things!"

"Oh? And what is the second one?" You raised a brow. Jimin and Jungkook moved aside as you hugged the older male. Jinyo squeezed you tightly, laughing to himself.

"For graduating and for your relationship with Yoongi. I'm the first supporter of that, you know." Jinyo was beaming with pride. Glad that your relationship with Yoongi truly worked out in the end. What started as a fake relationship in front of the fanboys has now become real.

"Thank you, Jinyo-ssi." You giggled. He pulled away by the time the others were entering the backyard for the party.

Taehyung ran to jump Jimin. The poor chick grunted as he was taken down to the floor while Jungkook only laughed. He wasn't surprised in the slightest. Jimin complained for his friend to get off and wanted Jungkook to help. Magically, Jungkook got distracted by something shiny. Jimin wanted to swear but saw Hoseok watching him carefully. Though the boys have grown a little older, some habits were hard to shake off. It still hurt your heart to see some of their baby fat beginning to disappear. You didn't want them to grow up, but it was inevitable. Namjoon went to pull of his brother off Jimin since no one else was helping. Yoongi was instantly crowded by his fanboys. They all picked up the male and started throwing him in the air.

"Congrats!" Jaegyu grinned.

"We're proud." Junsuh nodded.

"Put me the F*CK down!" Yoongi yelled.

"No!" Jinyo laughed.

Ms. Min was used to Yoongi's fanboys at this point. At first, she was bewildered by how supportive they were. All of them adored her son, especially Jinyo. She wanted to know how they met her son and they still haven't given her an honest answer. Yoongi was going to tell her the truth once his mom can't ground him anymore. That's when he would be safe. You chuckled as Yoongi struggled in their arms. Mr. Yoo and your parents made their way to the table. Food was already set up so some of the boys already began digging in. Soon your Mom told the fanboys to put Yoongi down so the poor boy could eat. They all listened and of course, Jaegyu sat next to your Mom. It still weirded you out. You would have probably gotten over it, but Jaegyu gets along with your Dad too. They were friendly to the point where Dad called Jaegyu 'son' sometimes and...you suddenly had an older brother.

Then your Mom being who she is found out how you met the fanboys. She was impressed that you had the guts to sneak off in the middle of the night. She said she knew she couldn't stop you, but if she did catch you then you wouldn't be allowed to go. You just had to outsmart her which was terrifying. Besides that, the graduation party was really fun. The rappers were talking nonstop about the entertainment company that they secretly toured together. Jinyo was happily talking to Seokjin, Jaegyu with the parents, and Junsuh was quietly walking over to the zoo. The three young boys were sitting on the ground near the fence instead of at the table. They became quiet to see Junsuh. Jimin and Taehyung chewed on their food as their eyes fell on Jungkook.

"I know you like lamb skewers...do you want mine?" Junsuh held it out to the young boy who stayed silent. It's been like this for a while now. Jungkook didn't know how to feel about Junsuh. He liked him, but then there were times were he just wanted to be left alone. It was a little hard to do that when Junsuh was now engaged with Ms. Jeon and moving in.

"I'm good," Jungkook mumbled. Jimin and Taehyung pretended they weren't hearing anything. Junsuh nodded, feeling awkward at the rejection. Yoongi stopped talking with Namjoon and Hoseok at this point. He couldn't get his eyes off Jungkook and his hyung. He excused himself as he walked over, putting a hand on Junsuh's shoulder. He was going to have a talk with Jungkook privately. Junsuh nodded as Yoongi nudged his head for Jungkook to follow him. The rabbit couldn't deny his hyung and trailed behind. Yoongi glanced at you, his eyes telling you to come with him too. You cleaned yourself up with a napkin before following them to the side of the house. "Is everything okay, Hyung-nim?"

"So you're about to have a stepdad." Yoongi sighed.

"Stop." Jungkook frowned. Yoongi smiled softly, knowing exactly how the boy felt. Jungkook was biting his lip, afraid of offending Yoongi. He knew that Yoongi was very familiar with this situation too. You stood on the side, watching and still unsure why Yoongi wanted you to come.

"Do you feel like he's intruding on your life?" Yoongi tilted his head. "Do you feel like your Mom couldn't always pay attention to you and is now putting more effort to focus on him? Do you feel lonelier? Betrayed?"

"...I don't want to." Jungkook looked down at his feet. "I know Junsuh hyung isn't bad...I just...maybe if he came when I was younger. So I could have grown up with him earlier on or something...would that make things easier?"

"Well, let me tell you this." Yoongi sighed. "There's nothing wrong with having a stepdad. Even if you do have one legally by papers, you don't have to call him Appa or anything like that. You don't have to be extremely close either and pretend you're a real family. You don't have to pretend to be this picture perfect family with two parents. That's dumb."

"You think so?" Jungkook fidgeted with his fingers.

"Junsuh hyung has at least been trying since he's properly met you which is more effort than when Myunghan started with me." Yoongi crossed his arms. "As long as you can coexist, that's good. I just know that you two could get along well if you gave him a shot. And I'm not saying to suddenly become best friends with him, but if he offers to pick you up from school or something like that then take it."

"...should I have taken the lamb skewer?" Jungkook grinned weakly.

"If you want it." Yoongi shrugged.

"I do." Jungkook nodded. He slowly turned to see you watching silently. "Noona...do you like Junsuh hyung?" You blinked at him in surprise. He wanted your opinion?

"Yes. He took care of me when I was at Midnight Measure. He's honest and trustworthy, but I know you know that already." You smiled. "You liked him before he started dating your Mom too. Plus, he was friends with your samchon back in high school."

"I barely remember him from back then..." Jungkook sighed. "But I see what you're saying."

"Come on. Let's get you that lamb skewer." Yoongi held out his hand for the boy. The rabbit mumbled that he was getting too old for this baby treatment. What a liar. He said that when he was thirteen too! "Hey, Junsuh hyung! Do you still have that lamb skewer?" Yoongi shouted. The tall male turned at the sound of his name. He nodded right away, smiling to see Jungkook walking up to him. Junsuh held it out as the rabbit came closer, blushing at what he was about to say next.

"A-Appa! Thank you!" Jungkook took it. Junsuh fumbled when handing it over. He didn't think he would ever get called that by Jungkook.

"The f*ck! I told you that you—forget it. Do as you please." Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose. Jungkook laughed and ate his food, mumbling that he wanted to hear how it sounded.

Jinyo and Jaegyu were almost as shocked as their friend. Seokjin didn't mind Junsuh dating his sister, but he was confused to hear Jungkook suddenly calling his friend Dad. No one really expected it. Even Taehyung and Jimin were currently coughing on their food. While they all reacted, you entered the house with a chuckle. There was actually something you've been meaning to do. Now that everyone was outside and distracted, you figured now was a better time than any to go looking for the old photo album full of baby Yoongi pictures. You were on a mission to finally see the photo Yoongi has tried so hard to hide from you. The bath photo.

Every time Ms. Min tried to show you, Yoongi would find some way to stop it. Ms. Min made one attempt to take a picture of it with her phone to send it to you through text but Yoongi caught her before she could do so. He erased the picture and left his mom's phone on a high self. Mr. Yoo had to end up getting it back for her. Yoongi was determined to never let you see it, but you were more determined to take a peek. The photo album was sitting on the highest shelf thanks to Yoongi who made sure it was unreachable for everyone except for someone as tall as Junsuh. Climbing on furniture, you did your best to tug it off and not make any noise.

Time to see this picture! Jumping down on the ground, you started flipping through as quick as you could. It should be here somewhere! It's somewhere in the middle and you're sure—the album vanished from your sight. Blinking at the lack of photos in front of you, you looked up to see Yoongi growling. He was holding the album high up in the air. You just wanted to see the precious bath photo! Jumping up to get the album, Yoongi only pushed you onto the couch and quickly threw the album on top of the bookshelf. He sighed heavily as he dusted off his hands, glad that he didn't have to deal with an embarrassing moment.

"You're mean!" You pursed your lips.

"And you're never going to see that photo." Yoongi grinned to himself as he walked over to you. "Life is like that."

"I _will_ see the photo one day!" You huffed.

"I'll burn it." Yoongi leaned down to press his lips against yours before you could respond. Though you weren't done talking, you eventually melted into the kiss. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you brought him closer. He was about to trap you onto the couch until he was suddenly plucked away from you. What? You furrowed your brows to see Hoseok and Namjoon holding your boyfriend back.

"Leaving the party to be nasty! Okay, Min Yoongi! I see you!" Hoseok glared at the delinquent.

"We just see you vanish and then catch you attacking (F/n)," Namjoon grumbled. "Who do you think you are?"

"Her boyfriend, you motherf*ckers! Don't interrupt us!" Yoongi barked. You giggled, shaking your head at the three of them. You love them all. Especially Yoongi.

*~*

Years have passed by and you're still happily together with Yoongi. It almost annoys Hoseok and Namjoon how successful your relationship has been with him. Unfortunately for them, it doesn't look like you'll be turning to either one of them soon. Though their teasing has come to an official end. Hoseok and Namjoon have moved on, now focusing on their much more important careers. Yoongi was working alongside them. Those three were becoming well known producers in the music industry. The three of them always worked together and occasionally recorded some of their own work too. Hoseok would also help choreograph for groups under their company.

The boys were going to be trainees until Yoongi said no. He only wanted to produce and was done with dancing on stage. He didn't want to do that unless it was with the rest of the members. The growing zoo were finishing off college. Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook were now in their twenties. It was hard to even call them by their precious nicknames anymore. The rest of you were twenty-three while Seokjin...well, he got old. He hates it when you guys say that, but it was true. Even you had to admit it. Either way, life was going on for all of you. Seokjin was still teaching at Sehwang Academy and you were currently working there as a counselor yourself. You wanted to help young teenagers figure out their path and it was easy to get the job with Myunghan being the principal.

Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin were in college and were also trainees under the same company their hyungs were working under. The six of them were trying to convince Seokjin to quit his job as a teacher to join them so they could be BTS again. Seokjin gave them the same response every time which was 'I'm old. Leave me alone'. That was the only time he would state age as his weakness. Not even pretending they could pull it off without him worked. It was fair to say that Seokjin had finally learned his lesson. Then onto the fanboys, Jinyo quit working as a factory manager. He saved up enough money and basically bought Midnight Measure just so he could be the owner of it. Now he never has to leave his happy place. Jaegyu still does tattoos and piercings but is currently in a long term relationship for the first time in his life. Junsuh is officially married to Ms. Jeon and Jungkook calls him Appa on the occasion.

Then your old rivals weren't doing so bad themselves. D-Crunch was the most successful group under Soar Entertainment. They were constantly winning awards and you would always hear their newer songs when shopping in stores. Crazy to think you were friends with them. All of you still kept in touch. You still bothered Hyunwook for the heck of it. Hyunho had a stuffed animal collection that Minhyuk and Sangchan helped him create. Hyunoh and Hyunwoo were currently hosts on a show together. Chanyoung, Jeongseung, and Dylan hung out with your maknaes whenever they could. Dylan and Jungkook also have grown very close. Almost rivaling the friendship between Taehyung and Jimin.

That's basically everything that happened. At least the positive stuff. There was one major bump for one of your friends. Hoseok's mother passed away and it was extremely tough on him. He couldn't stand it, but you guys helped bring him back on his feet. Hoseok was just happy that he had true friends by his side who wouldn't leave him when things got tough. Namjoon would always invite Hoseok out to eat to make sure the boy ate. Yoongi would have long talks with Hoseok, making sure Hoseok didn't keep anything to himself. Then you took care of the things Ms. Jung wanted you to do. Remind Hoseok to shower, remind him to stay clean, make sure the other boys are keeping tabs on him and stuff like that. Even Seokjin was there for Hoseok.

That was years ago and Hoseok has healed from the experience. He's not as devasted, but can anyone ever get over the loss of a parent? Hoseok still makes sure to keep smiling for his mom and always thanks her in his speeches and producer notes. Speaking of producing, you were on a ride back home from an award show. It was strange to think you were just a counselor at a high school, dating a famous producer. Namjoon and Hoseok went their own way while you sat in the back of a limo with Yoongi. He was staring out the window with a trophy sitting between the two of you. This trophy, a lot better than the one he would have one at the contest back then.

"Best producer." You smiled as you tapped his trophy. Yoongi stopped looking out the window to protectively grab his award. "What? I'm not going to steal it."

"I'm just making sure." Yoongi shrugged.

"You're a mess." You laughed, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'm handsome." Yoongi dramatically gasped as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Jungkook told you not to learn those things from his uncle." You grinned.

"Seokjin hyung taught me everything I know." Yoongi gave you a teasing expression. You playfully shook your head at his behavior. The car was quiet. It was easy to grow silent with the streets being dead. It was midnight and the two of you were far from the award show venue at this point. It wouldn't be long before you guys arrived home. "Speaking of Seokjin hyung, he helped me come up with something."

"Oh? Like what?" You couldn't wait to see. You watched Yoongi as he pulled a rose out of his jacket. How long has that been there? Laughing, you happily took it and sniffed it. Just as your nose brushed against the petals, you felt something strange scratch against your nose. You carefully looked at the rose to see a diamond ring hidden in between the petals. Your jaw dropped as you looked back up at Yoongi in shock.

"Will you marry me?" Yoongi kept it simple, but it was enough to make you grow emotional.

"Yes!! Of course!!" You leaped to hug him, giving him multiple kisses. Yoongi couldn't believe you were actually crying at his proposal. It was so cute though. How could you not be happy? Yoongi basically told you that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you with this gesture. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Baby girl." Yoongi chuckled as he wiped away your tears. "Now let's put that ring on your finger."


	63. Never For Granted

**Hoseok Bonus Ending**

By the time the party was coming to an end, it was almost midnight. Seokjin, Jungkook, and Ms. Jeon were the first to leave. After them were the fanboys who had work tomorrow. The Park family were next and Yoongi's family followed. It's wasn't long before your parents were calling it a night. Mom and Dad said goodbye to the Kim brothers as they walked outside. The only person left at the party was Hoseok. The boy yawned, bringing his goodie bag close to his chest. Was he planning on staying over at Namjoon's house? You were automatically worried. It's midnight so he can't go walking all the way to his house. That's not safe. Especially with him so tired.

It didn't look like Hoseok was staying over. He pet Taehyung, telling the tired puppy to sleep well. Namjoon hugged you before you walked out of the house. Your suspicions were still running high. Hoseok isn't actually going to walk home in the middle of night, is he? Mom was already waiting for you inside her car. The car was rumbling, waiting for you to get inside already. Dad was seated in the passenger's seat. He stared at the window in confusion. You weren't getting inside the car. Instead you were standing on Namjoon's front lawn, staring at the front door. You were slowly inching towards Mom's car until Hoseok stepped out of the house. The door closed behind him and you shook your head right away.

"What are you doing?" You walked up to him with a frown. Hoseok cocked up a brow at you, rubbing to the back of his head.

"I'm going home, Babe." Hoseok chuckled sleepily. "I'm just ready to crash, but I'll see you later. Okay?"

"What?" You glared at him.

"I want to hang out during spring break." Hoseok grinned, walking away from you. He made his way onto the sidewalk, but he's an idiot if he thinks you'll let him walk home. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he took a couple steps away from Namjoon's house. Pursing your lips, you ran to grab his arm. You're going to drag him in your parent's car whether he likes it or not! Hoseok looked at you in shock, panicking as his balance was thrown off. "Where are you taking me!?"

"Home!" You opened the backseat door and shoved him inside. Hoseok fell on his side while you took the open seat he wasn't lying on. Closing the door, you gave your Mom a smile while your Dad looked at Hoseok curiously with a lollipop in his mouth. "Eomma?"

"On it." Mom locked the car doors. Hoseok sat up in alarm, questioning what the Cha family's intentions were. Mom looked at Hoseok through the rearview, smiling at his startled expression. "Where do you live, Sweetie?"

"O-Oh!" Hoseok blushed. At least he knew you weren't kidnapping him anymore. You giggled as he told her his address. Hoseok relaxed in the backseat, putting on his seatbelt once you reminded him. It was cute watching him fumble around in his seat. He was so nervous for some reason. Dad stared at the boy, accidentally making eye contact with him. It looked like someone else was more scared than Hoseok though. Dad tensed up and kept his eyes straight on the road, focusing on his candy again. Hoseok turned to you and you patted his shoulder. He had no need to worry.

You talked to Hoseok like normal and that helped him grow comfortable in your parent's car. Soon he didn't care as the two of you talked like you were in your own world together. Talking about the contest, school, and you reminding the boy to take care of himself. Hoseok laughed at the care you gave him, but greatly appreciated it. He was surprisingly affectionate with you despite your parents being in the car. He hugged you and ruffled your hair like he always did. That punk! But you couldn't stop smiling when you were playing around with him. When the car slowed down, you felt yourself getting sad. Mom stopped the car in front of Hoseok's house.

"This is me." Hoseok smiled at the house. He unbuckled himself, getting out of the car and thanking your mother. You pouted to see he wasn't saying anything to you. Hoseok laughed as he went around the car to go to your window. You lowered it to glare at him lightly. "Don't miss me too much, (F/n)." He playfully winked.

"Shut up and get inside. It's cold," You muttered. Hoseok nodded as he blew you a kiss. Smiling softly at him, you waved and rolled up the window. Hoseok walked up to his door, unlocking it and stepping into the dark house. Soon the car was driving away and you sighed to yourself to feel that ache in your heart. "Eomma, Appa...it's him."

Mom and Dad didn't say anything. They only glanced at each other with smiles on their faces. You didn't think much of it as you stared out the window. You wish you didn't have to leave him just yet. Dropping off Hoseok led you to your conclusion that he had your heart. Though you adored all three of your friends and had your fair share of mixed emotions with them, Jung Hoseok was something else. You just can't help feeling connected with him on another level. Maybe it was due to the fact that the two of you went to middle school together. You two never talked to each other then, but now...you were able to have someone from your past and they were a positive influence. Hoseok and you didn't get off to a good start in the beginning of the year, but you're glad that changed.

He's easily become one of your closest friends. You'll never forget when he talked to you after Dylan got upset with you guys. You felt misunderstood and your feelings were all over the place. Then Hoseok, a naturally bubbly guy toned himself down and just spoke to you. He's so understanding and kind. Very generous and loving. He's so well raised despite the struggles he's had to endure. Your mind flashed back to when Ms. Jung asked you to take care of Hoseok for her. Originally, you wanted to do so as a friend, but now you felt differently. If it wasn't too much to ask you'd like to be his girlfriend. Blushing at the thought, you couldn't stop smiling on the ride back home.

A plan had to be made! You were nervous and ready to stuff all your emotions into a blender until you realized there was a high chance of Hoseok liking you back. An extremely high chance. You weren't blind to his flirting and though he settled for being your friend first, you know that there is still a possibility of dating. Just as you were freaking out on your bed, imagining holding his hand like the schoolgirl you were, Mom walked in on you. She wasn't surprised in the slightest. She thought you would be acting like this. All she told you was to go all out when asking Hoseok to be your boyfriend. Be romantic. Then she left and you were confused more than ever. Plan a huge confession? What the heck are you supposed to do?

Then it hit you. Hoseok loves dancing. It's his great passion and in his blood. Biting your lip, you knew exactly what you had to do. It would involve taking a long bus ride down to the abandoned club called Poppin'. When you went the next day, you were hoping that Hoseok wasn't going to be there. You needed him gone for this to go the way you wanted. If things went well then you would be asking Hoseok out by the end of spring break! The only thing that hurt you about this plan was that you had to avoid Hoseok until then which wasn't going to be an easy task. Arriving at the bus stop, you hopped off and hurried over to where the underground dancers were. It was still early hours so only two crews were stretching while the lighting people didn't bother turning on their spotlights.

"Hello..." You stepped closer to the crew Hoseok was friends with. Their crew name was Neuron and you barely talked to them. You weren't as close to them as you were with the fanboys. The first thing you needed to do was explain that you weren't Hoseok's girlfriend like they thought you were. They smiled at you even though you knew everything you were saying was confusing. "I'm not Hoseok's real girlfriend. He just said that, but I actually do want to be his girlfriend and I want to ask him out by performing a dance for him! I thought it would be cute and I need help."

"So you want us to help choreograph and perform with you to get your fake boyfriend to become your real boyfriend?" They tilted their heads as you smiled weakly. All of them began to laugh and jumped towards you. "Let's get started! Do you have a song? We know what songs Hoseok likes, but you're in charge! We'll help as much as we can! When do you plan to ask him out? How long do you want the dance to be?"

Questions were thrown at you endlessly. You weren't quite prepared for all the questions, but you were quick on your feet. Something about being in charge always worked for you. Managing things like this was always fun. There were six people in Neuron. Three boys and three girls. Hoseok usually acted as their seventh, but they also did performances without him. They're all mainly used to doing street dancing which you were not familiar with in the slightest. Though you knew absolutely nothing, they were able to choregraph a dance that you could keep up with. For the next couple days, you met Neuron at a studio to rehearse.

During all the practicing, you had to make up excuses not to hang out with Hoseok. It was always something family related. He couldn't interrupt you then if it had to do with family. Yoongi and Namjoon would occasionally ask to hang out with you, but you needed to be consistent. This all involved a lot of lying to them and you knew they were all getting suspicious with you. It wouldn't shock you if they were all secretly texting each other about how strange you've been acting. Things would all be making sense soon. Laying carefully on your stomach, you messaged all the boys to meet you at Poppin'. You felt like watching underground dancers. Namjoon and Yoongi agreed since they've never been and replied that they would be bringing the kids too. Hoseok was excited and thrilled by your interest, sending you a ton of heart emojis.

"He's so cu—OW!" You rolled over onto your back from pure excitement, quickly forgetting how sore you were. Your body was aching and you had pain relief patches on your entire back. Whatever, it was going to be worth it in the end.

All the boys were planning on riding the bus together until Seokjin invited himself to the event. Once he caught wind that Jungkook was going with everyone else, he had to see for himself. Seokjin made sure to tell everyone that he just wanted to keep an eye on Jungkook, but everyone knew he wanted to hang out with you guys again. He wasn't that great at lying. The seven of them came by car while you arrived an hour earlier by bus. Neuron was waiting for you. They told everyone else what was going on. The other underground dancers had to act normal before the flash mob occurred for Hoseok. You were extremely nervous waiting for them and once the boys arrived, you could barely feel your legs at all.

"Noona! You're already here!" Jimin waved.

"The bus was a little ahead of schedule." You shrugged as the baby chick hugged you instantly. He snuggled into your waist and you giggled.

"I remember battling Chanyoung hyung here!" Jungkook skipped over.

"When does the dancing start?" Taehyung did a strange dance as he walked over to you in hopes of getting everyone in a dancing mood.

"Don't be weird." Namjoon sighed.

"What!? I _breathed_!" Taehyung pouted.

"You did a lot more than that." Seokjin crossed his arms. It was at that point the puppy decided to bite the teacher. You weren't going to get involved in that and neither was Jimin. He ignored his best friend who was causing a twenty-five year old man pain. Namjoon collected his puppy, not apologizing to the mouse who bothered his little brother in the first place. Seokjin was ready to cause a whole scene until Yoongi told the teacher to just shut up. The mouse squeaked, not wanting to upset the tiger. Then there was Hoseok who snuck his way over to you. The fox appeared behind you, grinning as Jimin took the cue to stop hugging you. Just as you thought you were able to walk freely, someone wrapped their arms around you from behind.

"Hey (F/n)~!" Hoseok sang as you tensed up.

"You scared me!" Your heart was racing. Feeling Hoseok so close was making you blush. You were used to it, but it was different now that you knew you had feelings for him. Hoseok rested his head on your shoulder and you were close to screaming, but you did your best to hold it in. "Oh, hi Hoseokie!"

"Get away from her, Creep." Yoongi rolled his eyes. You pouted and held in your urge to whine when Hoseok slipped away from you.

"I'm not a creep." Hoseok huffed, shoving his hands into his jacket.

"Suddenly grabbing women from behind? I beg to differ." Namjoon chuckled as Hoseok turned pink.

"NOW YOU'RE MAKING ME SOUND SHADY!!" Hoseok stomped his feet unhappily. He promised them that he had no ill intentions. Namjoon and Yoongi being the way they were acted as if they didn't think his words were being sincere. Jimin ran into the argument, begging Namjoon and Yoongi to trust him when he says Hoseok is a good person. At that point, they couldn't keep the lie going. They liked teasing Hoseok but how could they make the baby chick suffer from their words? They weren't monsters. While they did all that, you ran towards Neuron to nod at them. It was time. Now was a perfect time as any with all of them grouped up in the same area. The rappers with Jimin then Jungkook making sure Taehyung doesn't attack his uncle anymore.

Music began to play loudly through the stereo. Hoseok stopped talking to his friends, bewildered at the fact that music was playing earlier than it ever has. They all noticed the other dancers making room for Neuron who stood in their positions. Hoseok raised a brow at them, silent while the rest of his friends were staring in awe. They began dancing to the music and your heart was pounding harshly against your chest. Here goes nothing! As the group of six crossed, you ran through the center to suddenly appear in the dance. The little zoo were bouncing as they pointed you out. They were thrilled compared to their hyungs who were in shock. You danced along to the music like you had practiced with the group and you felt your heart warm to see the giant smile on Hoseok's face.

That's when someone threw a bouquet at one of the dancers. She caught it before passing it on. Each dancer had a moment with the bouquet before it was passed on to you. The little zoo had their mouths opened wide as the dance was quickly coming to an end. You started walking over to Hoseok with a nervous smile. Yoongi and Namjoon were putting two and two together immediately. Seokjin got the kids to stop talking, realizing what was going on. Hoseok only stared at you with wide eyes. He was in complete disbelief as you held the bouquet out to him. You were panting like a dog and sweaty, but you were still hoping for the best.

"Jung Hoseok, I really like you and I would love it if you went on a date with me," You said. "And maybe consider being my boyfriend?"

"B-Boyfriend?" Hoseok stuttered as he took the bouquet. He blinked at you before throwing his arms around you tightly. "Yes! F*ck yes!"

"Language!" Seokjin frowned.

"He just said—"

"IF YOU DARE!!" Seokjin grabbed Jungkook, shaking the boy back and forth.

"I'm so happy you said yes!" You were already crying. This has been making you so anxious for days now. All this work and you were worried he would say no. Hoseok kissed your cheeks and nose, causing you to giggle.

"Why the hell would I say no to Cha (F/n)?" Hoseok grinned, squeezing you tightly. He was beyond happy just like you. The two of you glowing brighter together even as the sun was beginning to set. Neuron and others were cheering for the both of you. Hoseok couldn't believe you got his dance crew involved to help you. "This confession was perfect." He kissed your cheek again, enjoying the way you grew embarrassed.

"Wait...is the whole reason you wanted us here was so you could confess to Hoseok?" Yoongi frowned.

"Yeah." You grinned.

"We lost." Namjoon sighed in defeat.

"Hyung gave up?" Taehyung worriedly looked at Seokjin for answers.

"Yep." Seokjin laughed. Taehyung was shocked and Jungkook was just as disappointed as Yoongi. Then there was the baby chick. Jimin was bouncing up and down with extreme energy as he ran over. He joined the hug, squealing.

"You guys are perfect for each other! This is the best day ever!!" Jimin yelled.

"Thank you, Jiminie."

Hoseok wouldn't stop giving you little kisses that day. He was incredibly affectionate to the point where Yoongi threatened to throw a rock at him. That luckily never happened, but you were just glad that Hoseok became your boyfriend. Everyone in your friend group knew and there was no secret. Then you came back home with Hoseok, telling your Mom and Dad that you were successful. Mom knew you could do it. She was happy while Dad hid behind her almost as if he was afraid of Hoseok. It made you want to giggle when he whispered if Hoseok liked the flowers. Mainly because he's the one who helped you choose the flowers, insisting he knew what flowers a guy would like. Except when you guys went to the flower shop, he literally loved every single bouquet.

Dad ended up settling for a colorful one though and Hoseok answered for himself saying he loved it a lot. Dad flinched but was grateful. Then after that, Hoseok and you were driven over to the hospital. He badly wanted to tell his mother in person. The two of you were giggling nonstop. It was so exciting and fun to be in a new relationship. The two of you were painfully in the honeymoon phase, but you knew you would still be happy with him no matter how long you guys are together. When you guys surprised Ms. Jung, she couldn't stop smiling. She didn't think you guys would be visiting and then you guys dropped the news. Ms. Jung admitted that she had been praying for this outcome. She was almost happier than Hoseok and you. After an hour of spending time with her, the two of you needed to head back or you guys would miss the last bus.

Ms. Jung understood that and wished you both luck. Before you left, she grabbed your hand and quietly asked you to love his good qualities as much as his bad ones. Nodding to her words, you left with Hoseok to the bus stop in front of the hospital. Today was the last day of spring break. Tomorrow the two of you would be returning back to school as a couple. Holding Hoseok's hand, you leaned against him as you waited for the bus with him. Hoseok kissed your head before resting his head against yours. It hasn't even been that long, but you could already tell that Hoseok was no longer holding back any of the affection he's been wanting to give to you. And you were loving it.

Things with Hoseok were going great. When the two of you returned to school, people put aside their comments about the contest. Hoseok, one of the most popular boys at school was dating you. When did that happen? People were wondering about that, but it didn't last for long with finals. Students would rather keep their scores up in the end. Hoseok and you could peacefully date without having a bunch of eyes following the two of you. Yoongi and Namjoon were annoyed with how affectionate Hoseok was with you. It annoyed them to no end, but it was fine. They got over it eventually since they knew they couldn't get him to stop. Besides, it made you happy.

Hoseok and you knew this relationship would be serious from the start so it wasn't a shock to you when you were still dating him in your last year at Sehwang Academy. Though it wasn't always easy, the two of you pushed through. The main struggle you had to deal with was his stubbornness and habit to bottle up his personal feelings. Anytime his mom wasn't having a good day, Hoseok was tense but you remained patient with him. As long as he remembered that you truly cared and loved him at the end of the day. You would be there for him no matter what. You have a feeling that's why the two of you lasted so long compared to most high school relationships. Even as graduation drew near, so many couples were breaking up over the fact that they would no longer be going to the same school. Hoseok and you wanted to put effort into the relationship though.

On graduation day, Hoseok was incredibly happy. His mom got the chance to see him graduate. Though it wasn't easy requesting the hospital to let her out for a couple hours, she managed to pull it off. They had a nurse by her side as she sat in a wheelchair. Ms. Jung currently had a cold. That's all she would say since Hoseok immediately got worried by her coughs. They left him uneasy, but she insisted she was feeling fine. Especially once Hoseok told her about his college getting paid for by an entertainment company. Him and the other rappers were approached to sign under a label and they were willing to pay for their education. Ms. Jung was hugging her son as tightly as she could even if she was weak and very fragile.

"I'm so proud of you, Hoseokie." Ms. Jung smiled as Hoseok wiped away his tears. He couldn't stop crying, but at least these were tears of joy. Ms. Jung was wearing her favorite purple hat that she got from Hoseok today since she no longer had any hair left.

"Eomma, I l-love you so much." Hoseok sniffled.

"Quit crying, you baby! I love you too!" Ms. Jung sighed. Hoseok laughed as you pulled out a tissue from your purse. You were always extremely prepared for everything. Your boyfriend thanked you as Ms. Jung smiled at you. She always joked that you were a mom in the making.

"Wipe those tears, okay?" You chuckled, patting Hoseok's back.

"I love you too." Hoseok turned to you with a smile. Your heart skipped a beat with the way he stared at you.

"I love you too." You smiled, going on your toes to peck his lips. Ms. Jung was giggling to herself at the interaction. The two of you stared at her as she took out her phone.

"Kiss again. I want a photo of this!" Ms. Jung held up her phone, her hands trembling as she held its weight. The nurse then took the phone and offered to do it for her. Ms. Jung kept smiling while Hoseok's eyes flashed in worry. "Stop that and kiss her like you mean it!"

"E-Eomma!" Hoseok blushed.

"Yeah, Hoseok! Kiss me like you mean it!" You teased. Hoseok sighed at the two of you always doing this to him. It was a habit. Plus, it was also really funny to see him get so flustered. Hoseok softly shook his head at you before putting his hands on your waist. He pulled you close, smirking down at you.

"Ready, Babe?" He rested his forehead against yours. You only pecked his lips as your answer. Hoseok laughed to himself before pressing his lips against yours. He tilted his head to deepen it and you loved feeling his smile throughout the kiss. He kept you close, almost making you forget that this was for a photo. Your entire body felt tingles the longer the kiss continued. Hoseok licked the bottom of your lip, close to slipping his tongue inside until his mom interrupted.

"Are you trying to make grandchildren in front of me?" She snickered as she got her phone back. "We got the photo already!"

"...grandchildren, ah..." Hoseok separated from you slowly. He stared at you with a look that took your breath away. It took him a few seconds to bring himself back into reality. He cleared his throat, walking over to see the photo. Was he trying to kill you with those eyes? Though you were flushed, you went to check the photo. It was actually very sweet to see how Hoseok held you, the two of you smiling during the kiss.

"Send that to me, Eomma," You said and Ms. Jung was already on it. Hoseok smiled as he watched you make it your screensaver.

"Hey guys! We're heading over to Namjoon's for the graduation party!" Yoongi shouted, walking backwards with Ms. Min and Mr. Yoo standing behind him.

"We'll head over soon!" Hoseok shouted.

"Hurry!" Taehyung giggled as he jumped on his brother's back. Namjoon grunted, keeping his brother's weight up. Though Taehyung was now fifteen and graduated middle school, he still had a childish side to him. He would always be Namjoon's little moonchild.

"See you there!" Namjoon grinned.

"I guess this is where I go, huh?" Ms. Jung sighed. She grabbed her son's hand as the nurse checked her watch. It was time to go back to the hospital. Hoseok was sad but would rather her be safe over there then risking anything out here with him. Ms. Jung patted his hand before coughing harshly into her other hand. "I-I'm sorry..."

"Eomma..." Hoseok crouched down, nervously looking up at her.

"Don't worry about me, Hoseokie. It's just a little cough..." Her voice raspy. Ms. Jung looked sort of out of it, but you were hoping for the best. Her immune system wasn't what it used to be with so many of white blood cells dying on her. Her risk to infections and diseases increasing drastically. You raised your hand to touch her forehead, but Ms. Jung swatted your hand away in panic. "N-No! Trust me...I'll be fine. Now go enjoy your little graduation party with your friends."

"If you say so, Eomma." Hoseok pursed his lips. "We'll visit you as soon as we can. I love you!"

"I love you too, my precious sun." Ms. Jung exhaled heavily as the nurse got ready to take her back. Ms. Jung looked over at you, smiling softly. "Take care of him, please."

"Always." You nodded.

The nurse took Ms. Jung back to the hospital and you knew Hoseok was sad about that. You hugged him tightly, giving him a bunch of little kisses so he would cheer up. It helped get his mind off of his worries. The two of you soon turned to your parents. Your Mom was smirking while Dad looked like he was trying not to cry with how affectionate you were with your boyfriend. He liked Hoseok, but of course you were still his Gum Drop. The four of you got in the car and it wasn't long before Hoseok was realizing something. He furrowed his brows, noticing that Mom wasn't driving over to Namjoon's house. Instead, Mom was driving in the direction of Hoseok's house. He was addled and looked at you for clues. Not that he would get any from you.

It was a surprise!

Hoseok didn't know, but the graduation party was going to be held at his place. He always texts you about how lonely he is at his house. There's no one else with him there and he hates going there at the end of the day. It didn't feel like a true home so you coordinated with the others to make the place feel like home. As long as he had all his friends, he would feel the same comfort and security there. Yoongi's fanboys were there with Jungkook and Jimin. Those two stayed to prepare the party unlike Taehyung who came to the ceremony for his brother. He live streamed it for them and his parents. Namjoon was now on good terms with his family again seeing as he was already joining a company for it and getting his education paid too. His parents apologized and came around. The Kim brothers couldn't ask for anything better.

"What's going on? Where are you taking me!?" Hoseok struggled in his seat belt.

"You know where!" Mom huffed.

"Well yeah...but why?" Hoseok narrowed his eyes on all of you.

"You'll see!" Dad clapped his hands before turning to Mom. "I kept it a secret, Noona!"

"And you did very good." Mom praised him. Dad sat happily in his seat while you giggled. Hoseok kept his suspicions high. He was glaring at his own home like it was a ticking time bomb when you guys arrived. It took some convincing, but he finally got out of the car. When he did, he heard music and immediately thought someone broke into his house. Hoseok was super nervous until the front door opened wide with Jimin standing at the door.

"Hyung! You finally made it!" Jimin put his hands on his hips. "I was waiting for agesssss!!!"

"Jimin-a!" Hoseok ran to hug his growing chick. "What's going on?"

"We're having the graduation party at your place? What else?" Jimin grinned, his eyes turning to lines. Things finally clicked in Hoseok's head as he turned back to look at you and your parents. Hoseok started jumping with Jimin, the two of them rushing inside.

The party was already beginning inside. The fanboys ate with Seokjin and Yoongi's family while Namjoon ate with the young ones. The fanboys have become a lot closer with everyone. Even as your parents joined the table, Dad was already calling Jaegyu 'son' and your Mom was excited to talk to him. It was strange how close they were. Jinyo became Seokjin's best friend and has recently become the owner of Midnight Measure. Jinyo was living his own dream. Then Junsuh was currently engaged with Ms. Jeon. Jungkook liked Junsuh but felt a little weird at the idea of getting a stepdad. He was overcoming it though and made the interesting choice of calling Junsuh 'Appa' at random times.

Then the little zoo, how they have grown! You already spoke a little about Taehyung. Aside from Jungkook's family situation, he's grown a lot taller and has become a black belt in taekwondo. Jungkook is extremely athletic and now takes care of himself, but he still appreciates the hero Yoongi was to him. Lastly, there was Jimin who was getting hugged tightly by Hoseok. Jimin unfortunately did not grow as tall as he wanted, but he was still happy. He's still doing ballet and currently convincing his friends to join the company the rappers are under as trainees. He wants to audition with them and hope for the best. You'll gladly root for them!

"This is the best surprise ever." Hoseok sighed happily, watching as Jimin skipped over to his friends and Namjoon. The chick gave Namjoon a back hug, hoping for more attention from his hyungs.

"I'm glad you like it." You smiled as he turned to face you. Hoseok stepped closer to trap you in his kitchen. With your body sandwiched between a counter and his body, all you did was stare up at him.

"Is it possible to love someone so much?" Hoseok asked. Your heart still went crazy when he said things like that. Hoseok smirked to see he had left you speechless. He took the chance give you the kiss he wanted to earlier. One without interruptions.

Hoseok's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The party was a lot of fun. Everyone ate until their stomachs were full, people laughed until their cheeks hurt from smiling for so long, and it was night before I knew it. People went home once it was getting too late. (F/n) gave me one last kiss before she left with her parents. She must have been ready to snuggle up in her bed with all her stuffed animals. I smiled to myself, finally happy that my house had nice memories attached to it. Not all the trash was cleaned up which bothered me, but I sort of liked it at the same time. It made me feel like someone else was living here with me. I cleaned up my house, pretending I was cleaning up after a messy roommate.

Once the mess was gone, I decided to crash on the couch. I didn't feel like going to my bed. I recounted today's events as I slowly drifted off to sleep. Things were peaceful as I slept until the early morning. It was still dark out when my phone began ringing at three in the morning. I groaned the second I was awoken. Who was calling me at this hour? Searching for my phone in the dark and lazily grabbing it, I tried waking myself up. The caller ID woke me up instantly. Sitting up, my heart was pounding as I put the phone up to my ear. The call was coming from Kwangdong Hospital. It had to be about my Mom.

"Hello?" I tried to get myself to relax. Don't freak out. Breathe.

"Is this Jung Hoseok? Son of Jung Miyoung?" They asked.

"Yes, I'm him." I swallowed. I already didn't like the tone of voice they had. My mind was lingering to the worst case. Why else would they be calling at this hour?

"We're sorry to report that your mother passed away at 2:47 AM due to pneumonia..." They continued to speak, but I dropped the phone. _No_.

She can't be gone.

I clutched my chest as I fell onto my knees. She's not gone! She's not gone! She was there with me earlier. She was smiling at me, holding my hand! I was struggling to breathe as I cried my heart out. Everything around me was feeling dizzy. I couldn't hear anything as I cried out for my Mom. I needed her with me. I'm not ready to lose my Mom. Gripping my shirt, I screamed out in agony at the dreadful feeling that was taking over me. Someone so important in my life...I couldn't have it be true. It was hard to pick myself up from the floor when it felt like the world was crushing me. Hot tears kept leaving my eyes as I did my best to pull myself together. It was impossible with everything feeling like a dream. This was a bad dream. That's what I'm experiencing.

Sitting up against the couch, I repeatedly told myself it wasn't real. There's no way it could end that easily. That's not possible. I kept shaking my head and trying to forget the words they told me. It was all lies. They're playing a f*cked up prank with me. They're f*cking sick because I don't find it funny! Wiping my face with my arm, I shakily grab my phone again. The call was hung up and I was relieved. They're gone. It's not real. Until my phone began to ring again, a call from the hospital. Stop it. This isn't funny in the slightest. I didn't want to pick up the call just so I wouldn't have to hear those cruel words. She's my Mom! I still need her with me...Eomma. Pressing answer, I bring the phone to my ear again.

"Hoseok, it's Dr. Im."

"Leave me alone!!" I screamed.

"Hoseok, please listen to me. This is important." Dr. Im sighs, clearing his throat. My entire face felt tight as I held back the urge to break into tears again. "We removed all the machines she was attached to. She is no longer receiving any medicine or IV fluid. Her body will be cleaned—"

"Not her _body_! She's a f*cking person!" I lost it. Shutting my eyes, tears streamed down my face again.

"I'm sorry...but Hoseok, you have to come to the hospital. To see your mother one last time," Dr. Im said and my heart felt like it had stopped beating. One last time? I can't have a last time. Not yet. I'm not ready. I need her with me. I told her I would visit her as soon as I could. To walk into her room, shout for her attention and then get pet by her. I wanted Mom to scold me for keeping secrets. Remind me to take a shower. Encourage my passion for dancing. Dr. Im did his best to speak to me but I was lost. Nothing felt real even as I gasped for air. My lungs burning dry despite feeling like I was drowning underwater. I lost all strength in my entire body. Dr. Im told me to arrive as fast as possible for a quick visit before they continued with process of getting her ready for a funeral.

"Eomma...don't leave me..." I stared at my phone screen as it flashed at me, telling me the call ended. Arrive their as fast as I can? No one else lives with me. I'm all alone. I'm truly alone now. I don't have Dad or Mom. My fingers were refusing to work with me as I searched for (F/n)'s number. I felt a huge gaping hole in my chest as I called her. Though it was three in the morning, I hoped she knew this was important. I pressed call and listened to the rings echoing in the dead house before she picked up. A voice of hope.

"Hoseok? What is it? What's wrong?" (F/n)'s voice was alert with worry.

"(F-F/n)..." I cried weakly.

"Hoseok, I'm here." She was staying calm for me as I lost all my senses. I couldn't tell if it was cold or hot anymore. It all felt like a sick and twisted dream. Nothing was real.

"E-E-Eom...f*ck! (F/n)!" I pounded my fist on the floor. This wasn't reality! Everything about this situation was tormenting me. Tears were endless and my vision was blurred by them.

"I'm waking up my parents. We're going to your house right now," She stated.

"H-Hospital...please." I croaked, speaking like a child. It was too hard to speak normally. (F/n) assured me that we would go to the hospital right after they picked me up. I hated this. I didn't want it to be true. The pain made me physically sick to the point where I threw up in the nearest trash can. My body refused to work with me as I fell in front of my front door. And I stayed there.

It felt like centuries as I laid on the ground, limp. All I felt was aching in my entire body. Even my head was hurting with all my thoughts and emotions reacting explosively. It was all too much that I begged for (F/n) to come already. Save me. Hold me. Tell me it's not real. I want her to bring me to the hospital and we'll see my Mom sitting in her bed, watching her dramas. She'll be smiling at nothing as always. Wearing that dumb purple hat that she loves so much. Eomma. I continued sobbing on the floor until there were loud knocks at my door. My body didn't move as the knocks grew more desperate. Were those actually real? Only my eyes moved as I felt unattached from my body.

"Hoseok! We're here! Can you open up for me so we can take you?" (F/n)'s voice reached my ears. (F/n). Gritting my teeth, I mustered up all the strength in my body to crawl towards the door. I opened it up and pulled myself onto my useless feet. My heavy body not wanting to be held up. (F/n) stared at me with teary eyes. She was trying so hard not to cry for me and I knew that my state wasn't helping her emotions. She lightly mumbled my name again as she pulled me towards her mother's car. Mrs. Cha sat in the driver's seat, patiently waiting. We got inside the warm vehicle and she drove to the hospital for me. I did my best to breathe and not cause issues. No one spoke, knowing I would only cry further. I had my head against (F/n) as she stroked my head, petting my hair.

When we arrived at the hospital, I'm already running out of the car. I don't even thank Mrs. Cha for the favor. Storming into the familiar building, my feet echoed against the white floors. The sight of the white corridors making me sick. This is why I hated hospitals. They never led to good things. There was no time to take the elevator so I used the stairs. My body wanted to collapse on me. It felt like I was trying to control my body with strings. My limbs useless and weighing like concrete as I made it onto my Mom's floor. There were already more hospital staff surrounding the room than what I was comfortable with. They saw me, stepping away and letting me see her. I hesitated at the door frame, scared to truly see her.

"Eomma?" I called out. Please respond. Biting my lip, there was nothing but silence. Not even the sound of her heart monitor. No beeps from machines. Trembling, I stepped into the room to see Eomma laying on her bed with her eyes closed. There was no color to her at all. Her chest wasn't rising or falling. She stayed still, refusing to react to any of my calls. It can't be over. She gave me life and...now she's gone? Is this how cruel life has to be? Rushing over to her, I stared at her face in disbelief. "Eomma, wake up. Stop playing around...Eomma!"

I gripped her bed sheets, hating everything in life. I never got to repay her for all the amazing things she's done for me. I wanted her to be there for when I got my driving license. When I get married to (F/n) and when I have my first child. She was supposed to be there for that! Why is she gone!? This isn't what I wanted. Unable to swallow the lump in my throat, I began crying over her again. I'm not an adult. Even if I'm eighteen now, I still need my mother. My cries were loud and there was no stop to them. Suddenly, I felt a hand touch my back and I tensed up. I slowly turned around to see Mrs. Cha staring down at me with no readable expression. Behind her, (F/n) was crying quietly and facing the wall. Though I was nothing, but a broken machine...they were still here for me.

"Come here, Son." Mrs. Cha held her arms out towards me. I instantly hugged her tightly, wetting her shirt with my crying. Life would never be the same.

*~*

Hoseok was struggling to cope which was normal. It left you broken hearted to see the state he was left in. You promised his mother to take care of him. Your parents understood when you decided to stay over at Hoseok's place. He shouldn't be alone. Things that were simple in life were suddenly hard for him. Hoseok couldn't find the energy to eat, shower, or even move. He couldn't stand the house he was living in any further. Hoseok wanted to leave it and you did your best to understand him. Everyone else was worried for Hoseok but left it up to you to help him. There was pressure to magically heal him. How could you even do that? This took time to accept, but he would never truly get over the loss of his mother.

All of you were at the funeral, dressed in black. The mood was gloomy the entire time. No one spoke except for those who gave eulogies. Dr. Im gave one and your Mom read what Hoseok wanted her to say for him. He wrote a long speech that revealed how all over the place his thoughts were. They were vulnerable, but Mom read them for him strongly. She also gave a few of her own words about Ms. Jung while you were next up. Hoseok kept a blank expression the entire time. Only one tear left when his speech was read. As you made it to the podium, you took in a deep breath. The Park family were here as well as the Kim family, Jeon family, and Min family. Everyone who got the chance to get to know Ms. Jung so you knew the few words you have prepared will resonate with them.

"Ms. Jung once told me a few words that I wanted to share. They showed her strength and resilience in her character," You said into the microphone. "She told me that she doesn't care where she goes. She doesn't care what happens to her as long as her son is safe and happy. She made me promise to take care of her son because of how much of a loving mother she is." You felt yourself getting emotional again. Hoseok let his head fall down and right away, Namjoon and Yoongi came by his side. They wrapped their arms around him. "She told me that when she dies, she wants people to keep marching on. She wants them singing and dancing. Smiling, even." You blinked away tears. "Ms. Jung doesn't want us to cry and said that she'll be just fine. Rest in peace."

Hoseok's shoulders were shaking now as you left the podium. Your words strongly hitting him. They were his mother's words after all. Namjoon brought Hoseok into a hug, letting the male sob into him. Yoongi whispered words of support as he rubbed Hoseok's back. You took in a breath and looked at your Mom. She gave you a subtle nod, letting you know that you did good. Hoseok needed to hear that as well as the others. Walking over to your friends, you squeezed Hoseok's shoulder to let him know that you were here. All of you were here for him no matter what. Hoseok needed a couple minutes before the funeral continued.

The people holding the casket where Hoseok, Namjoon, Yoongi, Seokjin, Jungkook, and Taehyung. Jimin stayed by your side. He was in pain for his hyung. He was extremely empathetic and wanted to help but had to switch with Taehyung. Once the casket was ready to be lowered, Hoseok said goodbye for one last time. Telling his mom that he loved her. The second the first shovel of dirt landed on her casket, Hoseok instantly fell onto his knees. There was no taking this back. She's officially gone. Ms. Jung will now be resting in her grave. Everyone gave Hoseok space except for his friends. All seven of you stayed by him and he was thankful.

"The pain is over for her, Hyung." Jungkook rested his hand on Hoseok's shoulder.

"Let's try smiling, Hyung." Taehyung gave Hoseok a weak one.

"We'll always be here for you, H-Hoseok hyung." Jimin wiped his eyes. Hoseok took in the words of the young boys, nodding at them. His lips twitched when he forced a smile on his face.

"It's okay to feel pain though, Hoseok. You don't always have to act strong," Namjoon said.

"Grieving takes time and we're always available to talk to." Yoongi placed a bouquet of flowers near Ms. Jung's grave. "There's no rush."

"Thank you..." Hoseok's voice was barely audible.

"Do you want to be alone for a second or—?" You started until he shook his head. His eyes begging all of you to stay by his side. "Then...do you want to go home to rest?"

"...I don't want to go back to that place..." Hoseok frowned. "I won't be able to stay there for long anyway...not with Eomma gone. I'm going to lose that house..."

"Hoseok, if...if you need some place to stay then you can move in with me." Seokjin offered. "Though I sometimes stay at my Noona's place, I'll make an effort to stay with you in my home."

"...c-can I?" Hoseok looked up at his past teacher. Seokjin nodded his head, helping the boy get off the ground.

It wasn't easy for Hoseok to heal from his loss. Thankfully, he allowed you to take care of him like his mother wanted. You were always there for when he needed you. The others would help too when he allowed them. Hoseok didn't want to be a burden, but there was no way in the world that he was such a thing. Everything he was experiencing was real and he was allowed to feel them. Though Hoseok believed everything was a dream in the beginning, he eventually accepted what had happened. He grew a greater appreciation for his mother and didn't take the chances in his life lightly. Hoseok became a lot more serious about certain things.

That didn't mean that Hoseok had lost his bubbly and cheerful personality. Hoseok did his best to regain his old positivity. It was the greatest gift his mother gave him. Aside from life. Hoseok would still make jokes, sometimes to help him keep pushing forward. Either way, Hoseok wanted to live better. While he was living with Seokjin and worked alongside his friends, he produced his own mixtape. The company released it and it was doing really well. Hope World. Hoseok thanked his mother in the notes, leaving a long message for her. Personally, your favorite song was Piece of Peace. You also really loved the entire mixtape so all of them were actually your favorite. Hoseok just adored how supportive you were.

You were currently on your way to Hoseok's place that he shared with Seokjin. Those two have been roommates for two years now. Seokjin truly was an adult that Hoseok needed in his life. The teacher took care of him, still teaching him many things after school ended. Though Hoseok's mother passed away the day after graduation, Hoseok still thought graduation day was a great day. Hoseok also carried that photo of the two of you kissing everywhere he went. That photo was in his room, in his wallet, in his phone, in his office, and just anywhere he could bring it. Smiling to yourself, you knocked on the front door and it was instantly opened by Seokjin.

"Hey (F/n)! Hoseok is just getting ready for your date together!" Seokjin opened the door wide for you.

"I'm ready before he is? Interesting!" You said loudly. Hoseok one time made a comment that you took too long. Isn't he one to talk now? Right away, loud footsteps came from the bathroom and you were already giggling.

"I'm done! I'm done!" Hoseok rushed to you, his shirt still completely unbuttoned. Seokjin frowned at the sight.

"Are you trying to get arrested for nudity!?" Seokjin pointed at Hoseok like he was crazy.

"I'm dressed, Hyung!" Hoseok buttoned it up. "See?"

"You're a wild child, you know that?" Seokjin crossed his arms. "Aigo, I feel like I get grey hair because of you!"

"What do you mean!? You get that from aging! That has nothing to do with me!" Hoseok laughed in disbelief. Seokjin gasped dramatically at the nonsense he was hearing. It was fair to say that these two have grown extremely close with each other. It was hard to believe that Seokjin was ever your guy's math teacher. He feels like any other friend from high school.

"You two are both going to make me age faster!" You shouted. You're only twenty and you'd like to live some of your youth a little more before these children give you wrinkles. Seokjin quieted down while Hoseok stuck his tongue out him.

"Don't be a child!" Seokjin whined, throwing his arms around like an actual toddler.

"We're going!" You grab Hoseok before he can make a remark. Hoseok laughs as Seokjin finally calms down. You know they're only joking, but they could honestly go on for hours. It was unending!

"Bye then, Hoseok. Enjoy your date." Seokjin smiled with a soft sigh. "Be safe you two."

"I'll see you later, Appa—!" Hoseok waved before freezing. You raised your brow, seeing that Hoseok wasn't even saying that sarcastically. Hoseok and Seokjin blushed as they stared at each other awkwardly. "W-We never talk about this again!"

"DEAL!"

Hoseok didn't always live with Seokjin. By the third year, Hoseok and you were looking for your own place to live together. Mainly because he proposed! Everyone was so happy for the both of you. Namjoon and Yoongi weren't shocked in the slightest. They knew that it was bound to happen eventually. If you stayed with Hoseok during his darkest moments, you were going to stay with him no matter what. Hoseok knew you were the one and you were confident in him as well. Mom was extremely proud of you. She couldn't wait to have Hoseok properly enter the family though she already called him 'son'. Dad cried a lot during the wedding. He promised he would be fine, but once he started walking down the aisle with you...well, Mom had to walk you the rest of the way. Dad needed a bunch of tissues. He was just really happy for the both of you.

Life was going on even when Hoseok found it so hard at one point. Years have passed and Hoseok was successful as a producer and choreographer at an entertainment company with Namjoon and Yoongi. Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin were training to be in an idol group in the same company. You were an agent for the company, recruiting people who had genuine passion. You could see it in their eyes. Those who were different from the ones who craved fame. Then Seokjin was still teaching at Sehwang with Mr. Yoo. Junsuh was married with Ms. Jeon and Jungkook earned a half brother. Jaegyu still does tattoo and piercings but is in a long term relationship for the first time in his life. Then D-Crunch are one of the most successful boy groups out there and they all still keep in touch with the members of BTS and you.

Though not everything in life will go the way you guys want it to, things will still match up. Even when everything is falling apart, it's falling into place. Even if things strongly take a turn in life, it's in the right direction. Hoseok and you will never take things for granted. Hoseok always makes it a point to not take life for granted. You stood watching Hoseok as he set down a bouquet of purple flowers on his mother's grave. Monthly visits were always made to give her new flowers. To talk to her and such. It was important for multiple reasons. Not that you guys needed a strong reason to come see your mother in law.

"I love and miss you so much, Eomma." Hoseok touched the picture frame of his mother gently. He left a picture of Ms. Jung a couple years ago. One of her in the hospital, wearing her favorite purple hat. It was the last picture that he took of her. Hoseok slowly stood up, taking steps away.

"Appa, she's wearing the same hat!" Jaehwa pointed her tiny finger to the photo. Hoseok looked down at his daughter, smiling softly. She's only three years old and already your entire world as well as Hoseok's. Jaehwa smiled as she brought her hand up to her head, touching the old purple hat.

"It's because it's the same one." Hoseok took her tiny hand, holding it in his own.

"The same one?" She repeated.

"You both really love the hat. Halmeoni really adored that hat," You stated as Jaehwa bounced on her toes. Jaehwa returned her eyes to the picture of her grandmother. Hoseok stared at it fondly as a bird perched itself on the tall cross on her grave. Hoseok soon closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath and released it peacefully, the bird now flying away into the blue sky.

"She looks pretty wearing it!" Jaehwa grinned.

"She is very pretty with the hat." You nodded. Jaehwa soon turned to face her father, blinking at him quietly before asking her question.

"Am I pretty in the hat?" She innocently asked. Your heart melted as your baby's voice. Hoseok smiled softly, bending down to adjust the hat on her head.

"Beautiful."


	64. How Cute

**Namjoon Bonus Ending**

The party was coming to an end. With midnight a couple minutes away, everyone called it a night. Families were tired and ready to go back home. Namjoon and Taehyung thanked everyone, bowing as they left. The only people still at the party was you. Well, your parents were here too, but they wanted to go already. You just couldn't bring yourself to leave. Taehyung fell asleep on the stairs while Namjoon did his best to clean up the state his house was left in. A bunch of dirty napkins, used paper plates, and empty cans of soda were lying around. He was trying to clean it all up by himself even though he was almost falling asleep standing up.

That's why you were still here. To help! Mom held Dad who was yawning and resting against her as she watched you grab a trash bag. Though you felt tempted to just sleep already too, you pushed that exhaustion to the back of your mind. You were good at cleaning and you wanted Namjoon to sleep as soon as he can. It won't be easy fixing this place up by himself. Especially since you know messiness doesn't bother him too much. Namjoon raised a brow once he saw you cleaning up at a faster pace than him. His eyes followed you as you cleaned up the kitchen table in five seconds. What used to be covered in cups and trash was now gone. Namjoon looked up at you, confused on why you were helping him when you could go home.

"(F/n), go rest. I can take care of this." Namjoon lazily motioned the area around him.

"No, let me help. That way this is taken care of faster and you can sleep as soon as I can." You insisted stubbornly. There was no way he was getting you to leave with the place still looking like this. Namjoon chuckled as he shook his head at you. But you were right. The two of you cleaned up a lot faster together. It was done in ten minutes instead of the hour if could have taken. You're pretty quick at cleaning! Even when Namjoon was dozing off, you powered through. Then he would get mad that you didn't snap him out of it. You just thought sleepy Namjoon looked too cute to disturb. He's worked so hard with the contest that he deserves to rest. He can truly take it easy now.

"We're actually done..." Namjoon stared at his clean house in shock.

"Teamwork makes the dream work." You smiled at him. Namjoon grinned back at you, pulling you into a warm hug. He felt like a soft blanket that you wanted to snuggle into. Safe and secure. You did your best not to frown when he pulled away.

"You should get home now. I've made your parents wait long enough." Namjoon bowed at your parents apologetically. Mom only smiled at him while Dad was already sleeping in the car.

"Okay but sleep well and make sure Taehyung gets into his bed. It's not comfortable to be sleeping on the stairs like that." You pointed out.

"You worry too much for us." Namjoon patted your head.

"I worry because I care." You booped his nose. Namjoon's dimples appeared again as he wished you a good night. It almost hurt you that the night had to end so soon.

Namjoon walked over to the staircase. Curled up on the first couple of stairs was Taehyung. That boy could sleep anywhere but that didn't mean he should. The puppy was snoring lightly until Namjoon nudged him with his foot. Taehyung grumbled under his breath to be left alone. He wanted to sleep in and only got nudged again. The puppy whined louder that it was spring break. He was lost in his dream world. Namjoon sighed heavily, crouching down to pick up his little brother with all his strength. You felt happy watching Namjoon carefully bring Taehyung up the stairs to leave him in his bed for proper sleep. Mom wrapped her arm around you as the two of you walked outside to the car. A sigh left your lips and your Mom let out an amused chuckle.

"What?" You raised an eyebrow at her. She would always be mysterious like this. What is it now? What does she know that you don't?

"It's not too late to crawl into his bed. Your Appa is sleeping, he won't even know." Mom smirked.

"H-Hey! Why are you saying s-stuff like that!?" Your face heated up. Is she crazy!? "Eomma!"

"But on a more serious note, Sweetie." Mom stopped in front of the driver door to stare at you. "I think he's a good boy." She wanted to say more, but Mom wasn't one to push things. She only gave you little tools and hoped you used them to guide yourself along the way. Even if it left you confused. She entered the car while you took in a breath. Looking over your shoulder, you stared into the window that was Namjoon's room. The light was on for a few seconds before it turned off. You hope he sleeps well. Opening the car door, you sit inside and felt the pounding in your chest. It looks like you confirmed it then. The car drove away as you sank in your seat, biting your lip. Kim Namjoon.

It was a little hard to sleep at first. Now that your mind knew you were leaning towards Namjoon, it was impossible to ignore. There was just so many things about him that kept popping up in your head. It was frustrating that you were struggling to sleep when you were sleepy earlier! It was official. You had strong feelings for Namjoon. There was no contest to distract you. Nothing that gave you an excuse to sweep your feelings under a rug anymore. Though you loved Yoongi and Hoseok too, it was Namjoon that you wanted. There was the urge to take care of him as well as his little brother. You wanted to be a part of that family which sounded like crazy talk. You were delirious in the middle of night, thinking about what kissing Namjoon would be like.

The only good thing was that exhaustion eventually took its course and you blacked out. But when you woke up later in the day, you had a lot to say! You stormed into your parent's bedroom, upset and feeling a lot of things. Dad was confused and Mom looked like she had been waiting. She was already drinking her tea with a book in her hand. Dad was unprepared for your rant of feelings. He had his head resting in Mom's lap, but sleepily sat up when you barged in. He wiped his eyes and was immediately overwhelmed as you screamed about the fact that Namjoon's smiles will be the death of you. That's how he got you! Namjoon stole your heart and it was a lot to take in!

Mom remained amused as you paced around in their room. Dad looked frightened but made sure to listen carefully. Namjoon is intelligent and kind! If he sees a flaw in himself, he tries to improve on it to be better! The biggest example was changing for Taehyung and truly taking responsibility as the only family Taehyung has. He understands the influence he has and always makes sure to keep everyone in check. He's so modest in the way he would always thank you for being their manager and acting like he didn't do anything when music is literally his passion! The focus he puts into writing lyrics and the way he strives towards his dreams with this new fire is just—! It's just—there's no other way to put it—hot!

"He's hot?" Dad repeated.

"Yes, Appa! Namjoon is hot and it's making me mad!" You groaned.

"Oh..." Dad looked down at his lap. "Well, did you tell him that?"

"W-Why would I tell him that!?" You blushed in embarrassment. Dad gulped, wondering what he said was wrong. He was trying his hardest, so you had to give him credit. Mom only sipped her tea, enjoying the show. "It's just...you know how it feels to have such strong feelings towards someone." You pouted as you sat down on their bed. Dad glanced at Mom before smiling at you again.

"Do something that takes a lot of effort and from the heart." Dad clapped his hands. "Nothing too flashy."

"You think so?" You nervously played with your hair.

"If you think Namjoon is so hot, it's worth a shot." Dad smiled and you screamed internally. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't like him. He left a good impression on me."

"Really?" You tilted your head in surprise. That explained why Dad was taking this so well. He wasn't crying or looking at Mom for help on what to say. He's already working on keeping his promise. Smiling at Dad, you went to give him a hug.

"Maybe you can ask his little brother for help." Mom suggested as she set her cup down.

Taehyung? That could work. Hopefully. You don't want Taehyung revealing your feelings to Namjoon for you. Still, Taehyung respects your feelings enough not to suddenly blurt them out without your permission. You'd like to think that you could trust him. Though he won't be required to help you too much, you would just like some suggestions. Something from the heart. That could mean a lot of things! Even if it came from your heart, you wanted it to move Namjoon's heart. It had to be something that would mean something. It has to connect with him. That's when it occurred to you that you could use the approach of his passion.

Namjoon loves writing lyrics! You should write him a love song!! Gasping at the idea, you knew you had to get to work right away. Calling Taehyung, you told him to find a way to sneak over to your house. You're hoping that lyric writing runs in their blood because you're about to write an absolute mess otherwise. Taehyung wrote that one song before that he performed at the mini concert with Namjoon. Surely, he can help you write a song confessing your feelings to Namjoon. Taehyung responded that he was on his way. He had to run away from Namjoon, but he's coming. D*mn it. Namjoon is going to be freaking out now that he literally witnessed Taehyung escape from him. Taehyung doesn't even know why you need him over!

What did you expect from Taehyung? It's not Taehyung without him causing a little bit of trouble. Even if it involves him just trying to help out a friend. You waited a couple minutes until you heard Taehyung ringing your doorbell nonstop. He was shouting at the top of his lungs 'I'M HERE' which you could see that. You rushed to the door before your parents could get annoyed and confused more than they already were. As soon as you opened the door, Taehyung wrapped his arms around you. The little puppy was wagging his tail happily, excited to see you. Since he was in a new setting, the puppy sniffed around and you had to grab him before he got too distracted. He could be quite the handful.

"Tae, listen. I need you to focus for me since we need to work hard on something, okay?" You asked after setting him down in a seat. He curiously tilted his head at you but was following along.

"Okay, Noona...what are we doing?" He swung his legs back and forth.

"We're going to be writing a song together," You started. "One where I confess my feelings to Nam—"

"YES!! NOONA! I KNEW YOU WOULD FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM!" Taehyung jumped you, squealing excitedly. His hug was so tight that you almost couldn't breathe. How does a thirteen year old have so much strength? "MARRY HIM RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO BE AN UNCLE. NOONA—"

"Slow down, Taehyung!" You laughed as you pulled away. The puppy couldn't stay still after that. He was so happy to hear that you were into his brother after all. He was already planning your future with him. It was funny and cute to see him so excited over this.

Thankfully, Taehyung was determined to help you out after you told him. The only thing that you regretted was getting him too excited. Taehyung was letting his own daydream for the two of you affect the lyrics. It felt like a super sappy love song about kids wanting to hold hands. You were hoping for something more poetic like Taehyung had written in the past. Honestly 4 O'clock is a masterpiece to this day so you're wondering how you ended up with this. You did your best to adjust it and fix some parts, but you were no lyricist.

Then in the middle of working on the song, Namjoon called you. The call had to be ignored for the sake of perfecting the song. After the phone stopped ringing, he started calling you again. Taehyung was growing worried since his phone already had thirty missed calls. The eagle was trying to find his lost brother. It was making the puppy guilty, but he couldn't respond. Namjoon couldn't find out that Taehyung was here with you and helping you write a song. You shut off your phone to deal with the problem. It was a temporary solution that quickly came with consequences. As you did your best to make the lyrics come from your heart, someone knocked on your door. They pounded their fists heavily on your door and you were startled.

"Who's there!?" Taehyung shouted. The puppy was startled, barking at the door instantly. He rushed to it and was running around. He wanted to find out who it was, but Namjoon always told him 'stranger danger'. It left the puppy in quite the predicament until he heard the stranger speak.

"Taehyung! Is that you?" Namjoon's voice filled with worry was behind that door. Taehyung gasped and unlocked it against your wishes. No! This song is still so sloppy! Grabbing the papers, you brought it up to your chest to hide them. Namjoon let out a huge sigh of relief at the sight of his blue haired brother. "Kim Taehyung! Why are you here!? Do you know how worried you left me!?" Namjoon automatically wrapped his arms around the boy.

"...I'm sorry," Taehyung mumbled sadly. The puppy's ears now drooping, feeling bad for his actions.

"I'm so glad I found you, Tae." Namjoon kissed the boy's head. Taehyung stayed clutching onto his brother while you stood on the side. Namjoon's eyes soon drifted over to you. The only other person in the room. "Why weren't you answering my calls? Why is Taehyung here?"

"Don't be mad, Hyung!" Taehyung shouted into his brother's chest. His voice was muffled, but you could still hear him. "She needed my help..."

"Your help?" Namjoon furrowed his brows.

"I-It's true!" You frowned. "I'm so sorry though...I didn't think this would happen. We didn't mean to alarm you...he's been with me."

"She fed me snacks, Hyung. I'm safe." Taehyung nodded, pulling away from the hug. Namjoon stared down at the boy and sighed. He was just glad that his brother was found in the end. It would break him if anything happened to Taehyung.

"I'm glad you are..." Namjoon kissed the boy's head again.

"Oh, Hyung! Noona has something she wants to show you!" Taehyung turned around to point at the papers in your hand. What? No! They're awful lyrics! Your face burned bright red as you shook your head, hoping that Taehyung would get the hint. "In her hands! Right there! It's for you!"

"Tae, these are...n-no." You coughed. Namjoon raised a brow at you as he stood up. He glanced at Taehyung who was nodding his head enthusiastically. Then there was you, shaking your head and looking mortified. Namjoon chuckled as he walked over to you. Is this really how you die? You were hoping it wouldn't be this painful.

"Can I see?" Namjoon asked. Biting your lip, you held it your chest tightly. Taehyung then rushed over to pry it from your hands. Puppy, why!? You wanted to faint as Namjoon held it in his hands. This is the worst thing to ever happen in your life. You should have just straight out said 'I like you. Let's date!' because that is a hundred times less embarrassing than what you're about to experience. Namjoon grinned as he began reading the awful lyrics that would haunt you for the rest of your life.

"_Lonely is the name of the pet that follows me_

_The one that you left me_

_Aching every time you leave_

_I wish we could be together_

_We could be birds of a feather_

_Lost in time, press rewind_

_Hold my hand and don't let go_

_Follow fate, don't hesitate_

_You help me grow and you're all I think about_

_Without you is a drought_

_I am nothing without you, Kim Namjoon_

_Please marry be with me_"

The song wasn't finished, it was all over the place, and it was obvious where Taehyung intervened. It made you want to scream. You wanted to follow this poetic route where you state the struggles of falling for someone and then Taehyung wanted to go with the sappiest lyrics possible. Now the song was just a weird hybrid of trying to be deep and utter crap. Actually, the entire thing is utter crap so what are you talking about? Namjoon was chuckling to himself as he finished reading it. He probably thinks it's the most stupid thing to have ever been written! You agree and you're willing to jump off a roof as punishment. Scrunching up your face, you didn't want to see more of his reactions. It's best if you go through this blindly.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around you. Hold on. What? Opening your eyes, you stayed speechless to see Namjoon hugging you. Why was he doing that? Shouldn't he be running away? Your heart was ramming itself against your chest and wanting to leap out of your throat. All the nerves were disappearing as he hugged you. His warmth calming you down and you just had to hug him back. As you did, you could hear Taehyung giggling to himself. He was trying to be quiet but that wasn't really working out too well for him. The puppy was never really good at being quiet. Namjoon slowly pulled away with a smile that made you melt.

"Thank you for the lyrics," He said.

"Don't act like you like them." You laughed as he shook his head. His arms left you as he held up the paper.

"I appreciate them for what they are. Even if Taehyung's 'marry me' is still in the middle of the adjusted lyrics." Namjoon stared down at the paper with gentle eyes.

"...so does this mean...?" You bit your lip.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Namjoon held his hand out for you to shake. A handshake? No way! Out of pure excitement, you jumped onto your toes and kissed him on the lips. Namjoon was shocked for a few seconds, but he quickly got over it. He set aside the lyrics to wrap his arms around your waist. With your own arms around his neck, the two of you pulled each other as close as possible. His lips felt soft and smooth, but his movements were needy. You smiled to feel him opening his mouth as the kiss grew heated. His tongue entered your mouth and things were racier with Namjoon than you expected. You squealed to feel his hand travel down your waist to squeeze your—a cough.

"H-Hyung...what are you doing to Noona?" An innocent voice questioned. Your eyes widened and you paralyzed to realize what you were doing. Namjoon kept his lips puckered as he turned to face his little brother who was uncomfortable.

"Don't worry about it."

Aside from traumatizing Taehyung, confessing to Namjoon was a complete success!! The two of you began dating immediately after the contest ended. You told your parents and they were happy for you. Dad wanted to talk to Namjoon right away. The class president was nervous, but you assured him that he would be fine. It's not like your Dad could ever bite anyone. He was as innocent as they come. All Dad wanted to do was have a conversation with Namjoon. He didn't really have a set plan which made Namjoon laugh. Those two just talked about whatever and Dad was satisfied with that. From that conversation alone, Dad was ready to let Namjoon marry you.

That didn't happen with the two of you still in high school. For now, Namjoon and you were going to date and see where it goes. It wasn't long before the others found out. Taehyung couldn't wait to tell everyone that his hyung won. He was practically shouting your relationship with Namjoon at strangers on the streets. Due to that energy, Hoseok and Yoongi found out quickly. They couldn't believe that Namjoon actually managed to become your boyfriend. They didn't think Namjoon would ever really get anywhere with you. When Taehyung first told them, they didn't believe him. Namjoon confirmed his words and of course, they still didn't buy it. That's when you just kissed Namjoon in front of them. Their jaws dropped as well as Jimin and Jungkook's since they were present too.

Jungkook spread the news to Seokjin who automatically sent the two of you congratulatory texts. He was happy for the both of you and wished you guys the best. Namjoon and you were incredibly happy together. Namjoon always reminded you of the fact that he got a crush on you the second he laid eyes on you. Between classes, he would leave you notes that were short love poems. He was a lot more romantic than you thought he would be. Along with romantic came naughty. If you ever hung out with Namjoon late at night, everything would be fine until Taehyung said goodnight. Once Taehyung closed his bedroom door, Namjoon became very touchy and kissy. It's a good thing Taehyung is a heavy sleeper and that's all you have to say.

Though Hoseok and Yoongi would occasionally show jealousy, they mainly left you guys alone. Hoseok was happy that Namjoon was no longer solely focused on school. Yoongi was happy that you were in the loving relationship you always wanted. Being with Namjoon led to some of your happiest moments. Even Taehyung was left super thrilled with the two of you dating which everyone knew he would react like this. The only thing you were left surprised with was how Taehyung told everyone you were dating his hyung. He bragged that you were his Noona, bragging that he knew you and about how great you are. The sweet little puppy. He warmed your heart so much and Namjoon fell deeper in love with you when he saw you take care of his little brother. You didn't do it because you had to. You just loved Taehyung almost as much as Namjoon did.

Everything about your relationship with Namjoon was amazing. Though sometimes you two would bicker, it was only about small things. Stuff like how he should keep the house clean, not eat junk food every day, and basically anything that a mom would say. Taehyung has accidentally called you 'mom' on numerous occasions now and you were questioning everything at this point. Besides that, there was never huge trouble in your relationship until one day there was unexpected visitors at the front door. Namjoon was showering and Taehyung was working on his eighth grade homework in the living room. Someone ringed the doorbell, so you told the puppy you would take care of it despite his curiosity. When you opened it, you blinked at the two people who stared at you in confusion.

"Who are you?" The man asked instantly.

"Uh...who are you guys?" You turned the question around on them. Why tell them who you are when they're the ones knocking on the door? The man and woman looked like they were somewhere near their fifties. Both of them well dressed and strict looking. The woman pulled out her phone when you heard a gasp behind you. Turning around, you saw Taehyung walking over carefully. "Tae, go back to your homework."

"But Noona...those are my parents." Taehyung fidgeted with his fingers. Your eyes widened to hear that. You never thought you would get to meet them. Turning to face them, you saw his parents confused as ever. Why was their son calling you 'Noona' and why were you here in the first place? Taehyung awkwardly walked up to the front door to bow at them. "Welcome back."

"...is she your tutor?" Mrs. Kim questioned. Taehyung glanced at you, sucking in his lips before shaking his head at his mother. She frowned since you were still a stranger in her house. That was understandable.

"I'm Cha (F/n)!" You bowed to them. "I go to Sehwang Academy and I'm a second year with your son, Namjoon. He's my...boyfriend."

"Boyfriend!?" Mrs. Kim almost dropped her phone. Her eyes were huge before she looked you up and down. It didn't take long before she sighed. "Can we enter and talk?"

"R-Right! Sorry!" You bowed, allowing them inside. This was the worst thing ever. Namjoon, please get out of the shower! You internally whined as you followed their parents into the kitchen. Taehyung stayed by your side, refusing to let you talk to them alone. Mrs. Kim sat down after pouring herself a class of water while Mr. Kim stayed standing. He leaned against the kitchen counter, wanting to talk to Namjoon more than you.

"How long have you been dating?" Mrs. Kim asked right away.

"Since the beginning of spring break when we were first years," You stated. Mrs. Kim instantly looked down at her lap, her eyes having trouble hiding her guilt. She must remember. She broke his microphone and stormed out with her husband.

"Wow, so you two are almost at a year now..." Mrs. Kim sighed.

"They are! Noona loves Hyung a lot and he loves her too!" Taehyung joined in. You felt your heart beating rapidly to have him speak for you. Mrs. Kim looked over at him as he boasted about you to her. "Hyung has always liked her! Ever since he saw her so I know they're meant to be! Noona helps keep this house clean and helps me with homework when Hyung is too busy with class president responsibilities! She buys me snacks, takes care of me, and makes sure I'm not lonely! I've always liked Noona too so please don't be mean to her..." Taehyung begged.

Mrs. Kim stared silently at the puppy who took a strong stance. He wasn't going to leave the room even if they asked him too. Mr. Kim even looked towards his youngest son, his eyes slowly landing on you. Though they both looked strict, you noticed they weren't here to cause issues. They sighed heavily together by the time Namjoon was coming down the stairs. He still had his towel in his hands as he dried his hair up. He didn't even notice his parents through the open doorframe of the kitchen. He kept coming down, oblivious to what had occurred while he was showering.

"Tae, are you done with your homework?" Namjoon shouted as he lowered the towel down to his shoulders.

"No..." Taehyung answered.

"Why not? Taehyung, you..." Namjoon marched towards the kitchen until he saw his father. Mr. Kim was staring at his son over the rim of his glasses. Mr. Kim was very intimidating even when he wasn't trying to be. Namjoon awkwardly stepped into the kitchen to see his mother seated across from you. "Oh...when did you guys get here?"

"While you were showering," You answered. Namjoon nodded as his mother stood up. He was tense around her and she saw that. Though Mrs. Kim was dressed nicely, she had very dark bags under her eyes that were trying to hide under makeup. It looked like she had permanent frown lines as well. Then her eyes read like she was tired of this. Once she stood in front of Namjoon, she hugged him.

"I'm sorry..." She started. You looked over at Taehyung who was already lowering his guard. He stayed by your side as Mrs. Kim apologized for the time she broke his microphone. Namjoon remained still as she pulled away. "I...reflected and really thought about what you said, Joonie. I really am sorry for breaking your microphone...I realized I had no right to do any of that. Or act like I was your Eomma when I'm barely in the picture."

"Eomma." Namjoon sighed. His hands were balled up into fists and they were trembling until he just let go. He relaxed before finally looking his mother in the eyes. "I wanted to say that...I'm sorry too. For the hurtful approach I took when speaking to you about my feelings..."

"But it was still something I needed to hear." Mom pursed her lips. "I talked a lot to your Appa when we left and we were both furious. It wasn't long before I realized how much of an idiot I was...though I do want you to focus on your studies, I was too deaf to even listen to you."

"What do you mean?" Namjoon glanced at his little brother.

"Taehyung said your little group got first and I ignored it like it was nothing." Mrs. Kim crossed her arms. "I regret breaking the trust I had with you, Joonie. I want to try again."

"We both do," Mr. Kim said as he looked over at the puppy. "Tae, come here." Taehyung's eyes widened to be referred affectionately by them. He almost couldn't believe it. The puppy pointed to himself, questioning if they just pronounced 'Joon' strangely. Mr. Kim motioned the boy over and Taehyung smiled for the first time they were around. He jumped, rushing to hug his father. It took the man by surprise and it reminded you of the times when Taehyung's hugs would shock Namjoon.

"Appa!" Taehyung was bouncing.

"That's why we're taking three months off work." Mr. Kim patted the puppy's back. In that moment, Taehyung and Namjoon were beyond shocked. Namjoon's brows puckered together in shock as he stared at his mom.

"B-But the company? Who's going—?" Namjoon was already worrying about the company. Mrs. Kim pressed her finger against her son's lips. She didn't want to hear it.

"Don't worry about it." She sighed as she took her son's hands. "We're going to stay here with you boys and this time, we're going to be a family. We'll do whatever you boys want on the weekend—"

"YES! FINALLY!!" Taehyung was jumping around, growing teary eyed. He wiped his eyes, surprised with how many tears were coming out. He couldn't control it at all. The puppy ran over to you, throwing his arms around you as he stared at his parents. "Can w-we bring Noona? P-Please?"

"You want me to go? But..." You felt unsure. It was a family event and you already felt like you were intruding on some personal business.

Mrs. Kim and Mr. Kim stared at each other with small smiles before they nodded. You were in disbelief to see they had accepted that easily. They looked like they were willing to do anything to start over. Taehyung looked super excited. He was ready to forgive his parents while Namjoon was a bit unsure. When it was time for you to go, Namjoon told you that you didn't have to go if you felt uncomfortable. He even admitted that he felt awkward around his own parents. It wasn't like it used to be when he was younger. Though you felt awkward, you didn't know when you would get the chance to bond with Namjoon's parents again. They don't take time off work long enough to spend time with their kids. You wanted to use this time and help Namjoon reconnect with his parents.

That was the plan you were going with. Taehyung was glad to have his parents back, but Namjoon was hesitant. The first thing they did as a family was go to the movies together and you were invited. Mr. and Mrs. Kim allowed you guys to pick the movie. Taehyung chose a movie that was meant for kids so you were okay with that. Namjoon wasn't too interested, but let Taehyung have his fun. Even during the movie, it looked like Mr. and Mrs. Kim were trying their hardest to enjoy it. They were paying attention and faked laughs at the parts Taehyung found hilarious. Then there was Namjoon who was trying to get handsy in the dark. You gave him a glare and he luckily stopped since now was not the time or place for that.

The next family related event they wanted to do was go fishing together. Namjoon didn't really want to harm the fishes though. He also wasn't a fan of seafood. That trip quickly turned into visiting an aquarium. Taehyung and Namjoon were acting like little children the entire time. Mr. and Mrs. Kim were shocked with Namjoon's behavior. They didn't expect it, but you found it cute. It was during that trip that you got to talk to their parents a lot more. They didn't know how to feel about you in worry that you were distracting Namjoon, but once they got to know you, they didn't force Namjoon to break anything off with you.

Those three months were truly needed for the Kim family to heal properly. Taehyung and Namjoon got the family memories they always wanted. Mr. Kim was glad he didn't have to be attached to his phone every second and Mrs. Kim was happy she could truly spend time with her kids. She was making endless efforts to be the mom her sons always pictured. Even though she did almost burn the house down cooking for them. It's a good thing you were there to stop the fire. In the end, you cooked for the family and Mrs. Kim was grateful you were Namjoon's girlfriend. At least she knows they won't accidentally die on your watch.

Namjoon and Taehyung had forgiven their parents. Despite feeling like they had to raise themselves, they were going to try harder to be a functioning family. Their parents didn't want the boys feeling like they were orphans anymore. Though they couldn't attend Taehyung's middle school graduation and Namjoon's high school graduation, they watched through a live stream. Taehyung wanted them to feel involved as much as impossible. That meant a lot of video chats between them. After you and your friends received your diplomas, you guys went over to your families for photos. Yoongi was getting kissed endlessly by Ms. Min and got a heavy pat on the back from Mr. Yoo. Hoseok was hugging his mom tightly and you took photos with your parents before running over to Namjoon and Taehyung.

"See his diploma!" Taehyung held up his phone. The puppy smiled at his brother, wanting the viewers to take a good look at Kim Namjoon. The people watching the live stream were his parents, the fanboys, and Taehyung's friends.

"I finally did it." Namjoon laughed. He held up his diploma, waving it around for them to see. Taehyung was staring at Namjoon like he had just saved the nation. That boy will always admire his older brother to pieces.

"Can I crash the stream?" You smiled. Taehyung gasped, moving to show you to the viewers.

"Noona graduated too if you didn't see!" Taehyung spoke. In the live chat, you could read Jungkook telling his friend that he didn't have to narrate everything.

"Hi there! And remember to be nice in the chat!" You pursed your lips to see Jungkook say 'sorry'. Jimin was leaving a lot of angel emojis. Taehyung soon turned the phone to himself, talking to the viewers while you smiled at Namjoon. His dimples appeared as you went up to peck his lips.

"Can't I get a little more?" Namjoon suggested.

"You need to calm down." You giggled as he sighed dramatically. Namjoon and you were still going strong and it's fair to say that the two of you are incredibly comfortable with one another. Enough to where it makes Hoseok and Yoongi uncomfortable themselves. They always tell Namjoon to stop being a pervert with you. Namjoon leaned down to peck your lips and returned for more and more.

"Hey! Hey!" Hoseok ran to push space between the two of you. "Namjoon, what did I say? If you have no protection then don't bother!"

"Hoseok!!" Namjoon hissed quietly, pointing towards Taehyung's phone. Hoseok gasped and looked like he wanted to laugh. He knew d*mn well that Mr. and Mrs. Kim were watching.

"Has Namjoon gotten (F/n) pregnant already?" Yoongi walked over. Namjoon looked like he wanted to die, his finger pointing at Taehyung. Yoongi glanced over, his smirk widening at this advantage to embarrass his friend. "I said, HAS NAMJOON—"

"Motherf*cker!" Namjoon brought the delinquent into a lung crushing hug. Yoongi was taken by surprise, a large puff of air exiting his mouth instead of words. He looked like the toy where their eyes pop out if you squeeze them. You wanted to laugh while Hoseok whined.

"No fair! I'm your best friend! Why are you hugging him!?" Hoseok rushed over, wrapping his arms around both boys. Somehow Hoseok managed to squeeze both boys tighter than ever before. Namjoon paled from the lack of oxygen and you were certain that Min Yoongi had just died.

"Guys! You're killing Yoongi! Oh my God!" You ran over, trying to get Hoseok to stop. Taehyung was beginning to freak out. The viewers wouldn't stop flooding the chat with worrying comments. The fanboys were screaming for you to save Yoongi and Jungkook was threatening to throw Jimin into the sun if Hoseok was successful at murdering his favorite hyung. Jimin only left a sad emoji about the situation.

That wasn't exactly how you intended graduation to go, but it was still fun. For some of you that is. All of you went over to Namjoon's house as always. He was going to be hosting the party at his place. The fanboys along with Jimin and Jungkook were the ones in charge of setting it all up. The place was decorated and had all the food put out for people to eat. As soon as everyone arrived there, the party was already getting wild. It's been a couple years since the contest, but you feel like everyone has gotten extremely close with one another. The fanboys are a prime example! They used to mainly be friends with Yoongi but have now befriended the young boys and your families.

Jaegyu was especially guilty of being friends with your parents. It's just strange hearing Dad call him 'son' and seeing Mom just hang out with him for fun. It's like you suddenly have an older brother. Junsuh was engaged with Ms. Jeon and Jungkook was slowly letting him in as a father figure. Jinyo is best friends with Seokjin and is now the owner of Midnight Measure. He's pretty much living the life at this point. Then onto the kids who were all extreme balls of talent! Jimin has been getting a lot of offers to attend a dancing arts school instead of an academic one like Sehwang. Taehyung was worried he wouldn't have his best friend with him so he decided to improve on his art and photography. He might not have a full scholarship, but those two will be attending the same arts high school together. Along with Jungkook of course!

Those three were going to stick together no matter what. Jungkook also didn't want to see Seokjin roaming around the halls of his school. This was his solution to pretend he's a film student. Either way, those three boys were hoping to join a certain company! The same one that has offered to put Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi under their label. They also said they would be paying for their education. Everyone was celebrating not only the fact that you guys graduated, but the boys who were finally getting their chance to live their dream. You're so extremely proud of each and every one of them. It's what they deserve and you were so happy to see them smiling widely at each other.

Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi are going to stick by each other's sides for as long as they can. They're stuck to one another like glue. But you were with them too. When Hoseok's mother passed away, all of you were there for him. None of you guys were going to leave him alone. Even if you didn't work at the same company as them, you were there for him. You actually ended up getting a job at Soar Entertainment as the years went on. The boys became producers who were making a name for themselves. Then you were currently working as one of the managers for one of the biggest groups out there. You weren't the main manager who always had to follow the group, but you were important to them. It'd be upsetting if they didn't find you important at all when you're the main reason they get snacks!

"Did you buy gummy worms!?" Jeongseung jumped over the couch as you arrived with bags in your hands. The second you come back from the convenience store, nine boys swarm you and you've gotten used to it.

"I see my chips!" Hyunwoo excitedly reached until Hyunwook smacked his hand.

"Guys, let's give her some space! Then she'll hand it out to us." Hyunwook sighed, ignoring that fact that he was just called a 'weenie' by Hyunwoo under his breath.

"Thank you." You smiled as they split, leaving you a pathway to walk to a table. You immediately dumped out all the things you bought which was just junk food. They're supposed to be on a diet, but...

"I can't live without this, Noona!! Thank you so much!" Dylan bounced as he grabbed his favorite candy. You smiled softly at him, ruffling up his hair as he opened it up. Jungkook and Dylan are actually best friends now. They always text each other nonstop. Those two often claiming they're better best friends than Taehyung and Jimin.

"Did you get banana milk?" Chanyoung asked curiously.

"Right here." You handed the little bottle over to him. Chanyoung bowed, taking the milk with both of his hands. As soon as he moved out of the way, Hyunoh jumped right in front of you with his hands out. You handed him his bag of hard candy.

"You never let me down, Noona~!" Hyunoh grinned.

"Obviously." You smirked as Minhyuk and Hyunho walked up to you. Though Hyunho asked you out in the past, it wasn't really awkward. Besides, only him and you knew what happened. Actually, that's not true. Hyunho told Minhyuk, but it's not like Minhyuk will ever do anything mean with that knowledge.

"Noona, you know I love you?" Minhyuk clutched his chest as you handed him his favorite snack. You giggled and gave Hyunho a can of soda.

"You're the only manager who would help us commit crimes." Hyunho chuckled. He's not wrong. You're a lot more relaxed than the others and it's mainly because you don't handle a majority of their travel work. You stay planted at the company to assist them here, at award shows, stage performances, or at variety shows. You were just like any other staff, but you had a close bond with all of them. Even your own boys kept in touch with D-Crunch. There was no bad blood between them since in the end, everyone got what they wanted.

"Hey Noona, can I ask you one more favor?" Sangchan smiled innocently as he walked up to you. Sighing, you narrowed your eyes on the leader.

"O.V, I swear—!" You put your hands on your hips. If he tells you that he forgot to ask for a certain snack then you're going to scream. Does he know how long it takes to find a store anywhere around here??

"No, it's a small one! I promise!" Sangchan held out a white envelope. Furrowing your brows, you carefully took it and saw the huge smiles the other members had on their faces. "This is from us. It's a wedding gift, but don't! Don't! DON'T! Open it until you're already off at your honeymoon thinking about us as always."

"Because you boys are always on my mind." You smiled, holding the card gently. "Thank you so much. You guys won't see me for the next two weeks, so I appreciate this little gift."

"We're glad! We all came up with it!" Hyunwoo grinned.

"Hope you enjoy it, (F/n)." Hyunwook grinned.

"I know we'll be at your wedding, but we just wanted to give it to you early." Dylan shrugged.

"I can't believe you're getting married!!" Jeongseung stated. It's true. You were getting married this Friday and right after the reception, you'll be off to your honeymoon. You couldn't wait!

"I always thought Namjoon and (F/n) were cute together from the second they started dating!" Chanyoung raised his hand up.

"Me too! Very cute!" Minhyuk agreed.

"We wish you two the best." Hyunho nodded.

"Guys...you're so sweet." You bit your lip, hoping not to cry. You've just gotten a tad bit more emotional lately.

"Don't cry, Noona!!" Hyunoh rushed to give you a hug. The second he did, the others rushed in for a group hug.

Being a manager was one of the best things ever. Something about it made you so happy even when it could be incredibly stressful. It just felt rewarding! When it was time for your wedding, you were glad to see all the members of D-Crunch there. Jungkook and Dylan were your ring bears even though they were adults now in their twenties. It didn't matter. They were forever your babies just like the rest of the maknaes. Taehyung was Namjoon's best man while the rest were his groomsmen. Yoongi, Hoseok, Seokjin, Jimin, and Jungkook. Then you didn't really have any girls you wanted to have as your bridesmaids. Instead you had bridesmen. Jinyo, Junsuh, and Jaegyu who were standing happily by your side. Hyunwook was also a bridesmen after much convincing and a ton of flattery. It was the perfect wedding.

There was only one slight hiccup. Dad was supposed to walk you down the aisle to hand you off to Namjoon, but he ended up sobbing too much. Mom was the one to walk you down and took care of Dad. At least everything went well at the party. Everyone enjoyed themselves and you were so happy to be married to the love of your life. Even after the long flight, you were still staring at Namjoon with a smile. It was late by the time you guys arrived at the hotel, but you were running off adrenaline. Marriage and the power of love!! You also had soda on the flight! Maybe more than you should have! You need to use the bathroom!!

"So I'm your husband now?" Namjoon smirked as you finished up in the bathroom. You smiled, seeing the perfect picture of him standing tall in front of the window. It had a nice view of the beach at night. The two of you were going to search for crabs tomorrow.

"Yes, my wonderful and handsome husband." You grinned, walking over to open your suitcase. As soon as you opened it, you saw the card D-Crunch gave you on top of your pajamas. Right! How could you forget? Grabbing it, you opened it up and pulled out the card with a cute drawing on it. All the boys had written one long message on it. The smile on your face grew as you read through it, feeling emotional again. They're just the best.

"What's that?" Namjoon asked.

"A card D-Crunch gave me. Sangchan told me not to open it until I was on my honeymoon with you," You said as he shook his head.

"No, there's something loosely taped on the back." Namjoon plucked it off. The two of you blushed to see those _little sh*ts_ had taped a condom on the back of the card that was supposed to be _heartfelt!_ "I should text Sangchan and tell him thank you. We'll be needing these."

"The hell—!" Your face was burning. Namjoon laid down on the bed, wiggling his brows. It's not like you two haven't before it's just...you sighed. "Okay, this was not how I wanted to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Namjoon laughed, sitting up. You were silent as you contemplated on actually telling him the truth. You were aiming to do it as some fancy restaurant near the beach or maybe after a romantic night here! Or you could have kept it secret, revealing it once you guys have your parents together again.

"Never mind. It can wait." You shook your head, taking out your pajamas from your suitcase. Namjoon frowned, throwing your clothes aside.

"Tell me." He whined. How cute. How dare he use cuteness against you? Namjoon was basically a tall baby as he stared at you with pleading eyes. At this point, you would be a monster if you didn't say anything.

"It's not like wearing a condom will do anything when I'm already pregnant." You shrugged, setting down the card. You said it so casually that Namjoon was taken aback. He jumped onto his feet, staring at you with wide eyes. Laughing at his face, you boop his nose. "I'm pregnant, Joon."

"A-Are you actually?" He stuttered, his hands carefully hovering around you.

"Actually." You nodded with a growing smile.

"I love you so much!!" Namjoon picked you up. Gasping, you were surprised to feel the ground beneath you disappear. He twirled around as he held you up in his arms. You squealed, kissing him passionately. The two of you smiled during the kiss as he carefully set you down. It was hard to pull away from each other's lips. Even after the long make out, the two of you kept pecking the other's lips. You're so happy you get to spend the rest of your life with him. And the fact that you get to raise a life with him too. This is all you've ever wanted. How could you ask for more?

"I love you so much too." You smiled as Namjoon's hands went to touch your stomach. There was no noticeable bump yet. You only looked bloated and that's the main reason Namjoon hasn't noticed. He kept staring at your stomach with the biggest smile on his face. It was hard for him to contain all his emotions as he kneeled down. He wanted to be eye level with the baby when he talks despite the baby still not having their ears developed. He couldn't stop giggling, thinking of what to say to the little bean sized baby.

"Wow, okay...um...hey little guy." Namjoon stifled back a squeal. He looked up at you with the biggest grin. It was so adorable how thrilled he was that it made you want to cry. You're so happy you're married to this man. He's your everything.

"You think the baby is a boy?" You tilted your head. Namjoon hesitated, staring at your stomach as if he had x-ray vision.

"Er...possibly." Namjoon shrugged.

"What if they're a baby girl?" You teased to see his eyes widen. Something about having a baby girl took Namjoon's breath away. He grew teary eyed as he automatically kissed your clothed stomach. How cute.

"She'll grow to be a beautiful and intelligent young lady." Namjoon sniffled happily. He seemed really happy at the idea of a baby girl.

"She'll graduate high school, get a job, get married—" You were crossing off milestones in life when Namjoon gasped. He started shaking his profusely, wishing you hadn't said that.

"M-Married? Why?" Namjoon pouted, his lips quivering. "Why can't she stay happy with her Eomma and Appa? S-She can't grow up that fast...married?" He stared down at the floor with a glum expression. Right away, you took in a deep breath at the realization.

"Oh my God..." You groaned, rubbing your temples.

"What? What is it!? Are you okay?" Namjoon jumped onto his feet, checking you carefully.

"Yeah, you're just...a carbon copy of my father." You pursed your lips as Namjoon blinked at you. It clicked in his mind, the comparison too strong to deny. He immediately coughed and began laughing.

"Wanna get dinner than go to bed?" Namjoon suggested, holding his arm out for you to grab. You laughed and shook your head at his silly behavior. The comparison must have not been his favorite.

"I can eat." You smiled, walking out the hotel room with him as he placed one last kiss on your head.


	65. The One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: People on wattpad and quotev wanted a Hyunho ending so I wrote one lol)

**Hyunho Bonus Ending**

The party finished with the rappers all acting like a bunch of idiots. There is no reason why a game of uno should have gone so far. It turned into wrestling which you didn't bother stopping. It began with Hoseok taking on Namjoon, Taehyung attacking Seokjin, Junsuh sitting on Jinyo, Jungkook crushing Jimin, and then Jaegyu and Yoongi sitting on the side. Those two were mainly cheering on the violence as always. What else did you expect from them? You judged up until the parents got involved with the chaos. You were not a part of this mess.

Ms. Jeon scolded Seokjin for picking a fight with a thirteen year old. According to her, he seriously needs to start acting his age sooner or later. Has he always behaved like a child? Ms. Min shushed Yoongi and told him to stop telling his friends to fight. Namjoon and Hoseok called it a tie. Jimin ran to his parents with a huge pout. He didn't want to wrestle at all. Jungkook called him a 'weenie' and ran to hide behind his mom. Taehyung was proudly calling himself victorious and challenged Junsuh to a battle. What is that puppy doing? Junsuh got off Jinyo to stand in front of the boy. Namjoon froze in horror at the situation.

"Suck it!" Taehyung kicked Junsuh's shin before trying to tackle the six foot three man who was well built. Junsuh stumbled dramatically backwards, taking Taehyung down with him. "I won! He's down!"

"Ow..." Junsuh stuck out his tongue, pretending to die for the boy.

"Seokjin hyung! This is your warning!" Taehyung threw his fists in the air.

"I need to pass his class, you animal!" Namjoon hissed, picking up the naughty puppy. Seokjin swallowed hard to face Jungkook and his sister. Jungkook wanted to see a fight and while Ms. Jeon kept her eyes on Junsuh. The silent male sat up, grinning at the other two fanboys. He's pretty good with kids.

"Alright, show's over!" Yoongi clapped his hands. He motioned for everyone to clear out. A heavy sigh left him as he walked over to aggressively pinch Taehyung's cheek. "Think twice before you kill my favorite teacher and fanboy."

"Ah! I was just messin' around, Hyung!" Taehyung pouted. "You know I'm a big fan of you too!"

"It really doesn't feel like you were messing around." Hoseok chuckled.

"Please don't actually kill our math teacher." You pleaded. Taehyung pouted as if you just ruined his fun. Namjoon soon let him go since he was getting tired of holding the boy back. The puppy ran over to hug the baby chick, comforting his best friend and muttering a plan to get back at the bunny. Unfortunately for the puppy, his whispering wasn't quiet and the bunny could hear him loud and clear.

The night ended eventful. Not only did BTS win and then not win, there was a lot more wrestling than you had intended. Slowly, people began to leave the party. The first to leave were the fanboys who had work the next morning. The second were you and your family. Though you would have loved to have stayed with your boys, you called it a night. Namjoon thanked you for secretly setting up the party, giving you a warm embrace. Hoseok hugged you tightly before you left. He didn't want you to go. Lastly, Yoongi stood there with his arms open expectantly. You rolled your eyes to hug him too and went off with your family. The three of you entered the car, silent throughout most of the drive.

"...Gum Drop?" Dad called.

"Yeah?" You looked at his reflection in the rear view mirror.

"I saw the three boys, but I know you mentioned four..." Dad was trying to be careful about it. He didn't want to slip and break his promise. You chuckled at his behavior. It's okay. He just made the promise today so you knew he wasn't suddenly going to switch.

"Yeah, there's four." You sighed, nodding to yourself. At least you think. You denied Hyunho which you kept looking back on. It's the main reason you wanted to leave the party. You felt extremely guilty about it. When you spent the party with your friends, you tried to identify your feelings towards them. They make you feel all kinds of things...but you weren't so sure it was love. You don't even know what it's like to be in love. "But...I think it went down to zero."

"Zero!?" Your Mom braked the car abruptly. Dad and you flew forward at the sudden halt. The two of you coughed, shocked at Mom's action. "What do you mean zero!? Are you telling me none of those boys are interested in you anymore!? I will—"

"No! Eomma, I'm not interested in them!" You clarified. She quieted down, stunned by your statement. Your face felt hot but a huge wave a relief washed over you. Just because they're male and they're your friends, that doesn't mean you have to fall in love with them. You have a special relationship with each of the rappers. A friendship made through sharing a passion. That's something you will always be grateful for. They accept you for who you are. Dating them though? You didn't want to force yourself to feel anything fake towards them. As you sat in the backseat, you felt like crying. What if they don't want to be friends with you once you tell them you want to stay as friends? "...I feel bad."

"Why?" Dad unbuckled his seat to turn around properly. Mom slowly started driving again, listening quietly into the conversation.

"They've made it clear that they like me...and I feel like I've led them on." You cried, wiping your eyes. Dad stared at you with sad eyes. He didn't want to see you stressed out over this.

"Are they your true friends?" Dad questioned. He patiently waited for you to calm down. Your entire face was red and you bet you looked like a mess. Still, you knew your answer to his question. Dad smiled once he saw you nod. "If they're really true then they won't be upset. They shouldn't force you into anything. Not dating anyone is perfectly fine, Gum Drop!"

"If any of the boys give you issues, I'm here," Mom stated. "I have watched them carefully though, (F/n). They don't seem like the type to hate you for rejecting them."

"Thanks." You played with your fingers. Mom's judgements were always spot on. Dad continued to comfort you with words girls usually appreciate to hear from their father. As a guy himself, he just told you to follow your heart. Never force it to feel anything for anyone. You took what they all said to heart. Taking in a deep breath, you felt a lot better when you thought about your feelings. The rappers are better off as your friends. No more forced romantic emotions towards any of them. Lowering down the window, you took a minute to breathe the cold night air.

Spring break officially started. When you woke up the next morning, you stayed in bed for the longest time. You came to terms with your platonic feelings towards your friends. There was no changing them. The only thing that still ate at you was telling them. How were you going to do it? Only if they ever bring it up! Still, that left you feeling incredibly anxious. They'll invite you to hang out and it will be on your mind nonstop. You didn't want to leave your room at all. So you stayed stuck in bed, acting as if that would make things better. Mom and Dad didn't force you out, but they were clearly worried. They checked up on you multiple times to see if you were okay.

Sort of.

Everything was fine until the middle of spring break. The boys planned a day to hang out together and you were obviously invited. Each of them were patiently waiting for your response. They expected you to say yes. You always go with them and it wasn't like you to say no. It also didn't feel good to lie to them. Though your parents were fine with you using them as excuses to stay, you knew you had to leave the house. Hang out with your friends because they're your friends! Putting a smile on your face, you told yourself that everything would be fine. It's just going to be hanging out.

Mom dropped you off at the mall. Hoseok suggested meeting up there since there was a new café. None of you have been able to check it out. Not with how busy you guys were from the contest. It wasn't like Namjoon or Yoongi to go to the mall though. They had to be forced or else they would just lock themselves in their room. Namjoon was easier to convince while Yoongi said he would only go if you went. You agreed and felt your stomach twist around. Things like that didn't feel easy to slip under the rug anymore. It wasn't possible to roll your eyes at his words. Biting your lip, you felt tempted to text him to not act like that.

You didn't for obvious reasons. Now you stood at the mall with a big red hoodie. The first boy to spot you was Namjoon. He was lost for the longest time and had Taehyung on the phone. The young puppy had to direct his clueless hyung throughout the mall. The second to arrive was Hoseok, happy and cheerful that you guys made it. Yoongi showed up with no enthusiasm. He just made it a point that he wouldn't be here by himself. Hoseok didn't mind that as he took you guys over to the new café he was interesting in checking out. It looked cute.

"What are you guys ordering?" Hoseok grinned.

"Iced americano." Yoongi shrugged.

"You pick for me." Namjoon smiled at you. He wants you to choose? Your lips thinned as you faced the menu, unsure what to even order for yourself.

"You'll get the 'roast for a toast' drink!" Hoseok wrapped his arm around the president. Namjoon's face contorted into disgust at the name. "It's the special of the day! I'm getting it too!"

"What kind of name is that?" Namjoon frowned.

"I'll just get iced tea." You nodded to yourself. Opening up your bag, you took out your wallet.

"I have you covered, (F/n)!" Hoseok grinned.

"No, I do." Namjoon held up money.

"I was planning on paying for her." Yoongi glared at them. The three of them began bickering over why they should pay. Watching them made you feel like a burden. You didn't even want to abuse the idea of a free drink. You walked up to the counter, paying for yourself as you ordered your drink. As the cashier handed you a receipt, you could hear the boys get quiet behind you. They all stared at you walk up to them with a tight smile.

"I can pay for myself." You sighed. "I'm perfectly fine with that." Even when you clearly meant it, the boys remained suspicious of your words. They were used to you pretending to be their girlfriend who let them pay. You're just their friend now. No fake girlfriend. That messed with your mind too much. It tricked you to think the affection you gave them was from a romantic place when it wasn't. In the end, they're just your friends.

"Are you sure you just want a drink?" Hoseok asked. "No snack or anything?" You shook your head to gain more silence.

"Are you okay?" Yoongi scoffed, putting his hand against your forehead.

"I'm fine." You nodded.

"You normally let us pay since you're our girlfriend." Namjoon chuckled. The boys all found it funny until they saw you visibly become uncomfortable. They tilted their heads at you. Something was off.

"...I'm just your friend. I'm not any of your fake girlfriend anymore," You mumbled. The three rappers didn't express much emotion when you said that. Only the corners of their lips twitched down. "I'm sorry."

"Oh...that's cool." Hoseok awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"I mean, we were always friends to begin with." Namjoon attempted a smile only to cough. "Uh, I'm gonna go order now." He quickly walked off.

"It's fine, (F/n)." Yoongi kept his eyes on the ground.

It was out there. It was done. And yet, somehow admitting the truth felt like the worst thing ever. All three of the boys acted strangely around you for the entire time. It would have been better if they hadn't invited you. They insisted that they were okay with it, but they were clearly hurt. The news of knowing you only saw them as friends and nothing more wasn't world shattering to them. Just a bit disappointing, but you still felt bad. You let them down after making them think it was a possibility. Eventually, you got your Mom to pick you up early from the mall since you were feeling sick. Something about the tea or whatever. You don't exactly remember the excuse you used. All you know is that once you came home, you rushed to cry in your bed and decided you weren't leaving again.

Days passed by. Your spring break was being wasted just lying in the dark with no real motivation to get up. The boys sent you texts, but you just didn't know how to reply. Namjoon sent you worried messages. He didn't want you believing you harmed him deeply. Hoseok was acting as if nothing happened and just wanted to hang out as friends. Yoongi sent you long texts, letting you know that there was nothing to worry about. They were all trying to comfort you and you couldn't even text back a single character. Not even an emoji. The amount of times you typed down nonsense only to press backspace was too many to count.

It was officially the last day before school started again. Another day where you avoided looking at your phone. You could still tell it was the early morning though. Snuggling up in your blankets, you closed your eyes in hopes of sleeping for a little longer. You weren't exactly tired, but it was hard to explain. The door suddenly opened and your eyes widened. Were Mom and Dad leaving you breakfast? Sitting up, you saw Dad carefully dropping papers at the edge of your bed. He was trying to be secretive and quickly dropped onto the floor. What is he doing? You smiled lightly to see him army crawl out of the room. Shaking your head at him, you grab the papers he left to read.

"Appa...what's this?" You asked, furrowing your brows at the papers. It informed you about an internship program at Soar Entertainment. Learn how entertainment companies work from the inside. Making connections in the industry and getting hands on experience with artists.

"I figured you should try it," Dad said by the door. He was still trying to hide for some reason. "Your Eomma told me about how passionate you were about being a manager for BTS. I-I saw this and thought you would be interested. I mean, you've worked with this company before too! So..."

"It says to show up today at Soar Entertainment at one." Your lips thinned.

"It does..." Dad confirmed. You didn't feel like leaving your bedroom today. It wasn't in your plan to, but the offer was actually tempting. You looked over at your father who was smiling softly at you. Both of your parents have been worried about you. Mom must have found this and given it to him. Her little pushes to help you move forward in life. Who were you to deny your Mom? She was basically psychic.

"I'll go." You gave him a grin. Dad gasped in delight at your answer. It was what he was hoping for after all. You giggled as he hugged you tightly before rushing to tell Mom. He was shouting 'noona' at the top of his lungs excitedly.

That was enough to tell you that this experience wouldn't be so bad. You got dressed for the day to show up at Soar Entertainment. Some of their staff should already be familiar with you. That would probably work well in your favor. You were dropped off a couple minutes early at the company. When you entered through the doors, you already saw a small group of people waiting for the internship introduction to start. A lot of the people here looked like they were in college compared to you.

It felt like you stood out just by how young you looked. The receptionist waved at you curiously until she realized you were going to be doing the internship. She jumped onto her feet, giving you special attention. The others were handed papers already and were going to have a tour around the company. Though you didn't know the place like the back of your hand, you knew more than them. The rest noticed you were almost being treated like a senior. Another staff member arrived, counting everyone until their eyes landed on you.

"Oh, Miss Cha! You're joining us?" They clapped their hands together as you nodded your head. "That's amazing! Everyone, we have a very special little junior here. She worked as manager of one of the participating groups in the contest."

They were vague and for a reason. BTS got disqualified after all. You gave the college students awkward smiles, feeling strange that you've done more than them at your age. They stared at you for longer than you would have liked. That's when the front doors opened wide. Multiple voices entered the lobby of the company, tired but still full of energy. Everyone faced them and the mood completely changed. D-Crunch, the winners of the competition made it to the company. You were surprised to see them and they all smiled at you right away. Hyunoh gasped and rushed to hug you.

"Noona!" Hyunoh grinned.

"Hello there." You chuckled, seeing other members begin to crowd you.

"Noona, what are you doing here?" Dylan asked.

"Are you going to work for Soar?" Chanyoung tilted his head.

"Do it! Work here!" Jeongseung cheered.

"Okay, slow down—" You tried to keep them calm. It wasn't working with nine of them and only one of you. Even managing seven wasn't an easy task.

"Are you going to become our manager?" Minhyuk bounced on his toes.

"We'd love to have you as our manager, Noona!" Hyunwoo grinned. "You're hired!"

"That's not how it works!" Hyunwook crossed his arms.

"Uh, guys, I appreciate that—" You attempted to get a sentence in only to fail again.

"It'll be great working with you, Noona!" Sangchan held his hand out towards you. "I always knew you would become our manager eventually."

"I swear to f...you boys." You took in a breath, glancing at the college students and Soar staff. You were about to swear and quickly cut yourself off. Dylan and Jeongseung were staring at you with big eyes. The staff only laughed as they motioned the college students to follow them.

"(F/n), manage the boys. I'll call someone else to help you out. I'll take care of this group." They waved, walking away. Someone else is going to help you? Your brows knitted together as you slowly stared at the excited D-Crunch members. All of them were jumping around, ready to drag you into their practice room. Eight of them started walking forward with only one standing behind. Silently watching your overwhelmed form.

"Are you okay?" Hyunho's voice managed to snap you out of the initial shock. Hyunho stared down at you carefully to which you easily began blushing. This is embarrassing! Though you were a ball of nerves, Hyunho was a lot calmer. He didn't seem too bothered that he was talking to the girl who shot him down. Maybe you should take notes.

"I'm...just trying to work things out," You admitted. Something about Hyunho's calm aura made it easy to confide in him. You knew he wasn't going to judge or use it against you. It was safe.

"Nine boys don't help?" Hyunho pointed towards his friends who were being rambunctious.

"Eight is more accurate," You said to see him smile. "Hyunoh is pretty cool." Hyunho laughed with a light scoff, shaking his head at your playful behavior. You giggled with him as you felt yourself relaxing in his presence. It was nice knowing you could get him to laugh. Hyunho didn't get upset or anything. His rare smiles were reminding you of your crush on him. Gosh, what are you doing to yourself? Didn't you learn your lesson with crushes, (F/n)? "I don't know if I'll be allowed to stay with you guys the entire time."

"Why not? You're welcome any time with us." Hyunho shrugged. It was easy for him to say that, but it was so strange. You came here to become an intern. Now you were following an up and coming boy group to their practice room. Hyunho continued walking and you kept up with his long legs.

During the entire time you were with D-Crunch, it felt like you were messing around with friends. You were almost taken aback by how friendly they were towards you. The only one who was ready to fight was Hyunwook. Of course, you only fed him compliments and he decided to loosen up on you. It was fun teasing him. Then their precious maknaes were a joy to tease as well. Dylan was like a little baby. He's very small with a chubby face and big eyes. Compared to Jeongseung and the little zoo, Dylan proved to be a late bloomer. The only maturing thing about him was his height. That didn't stop you from cooing over him to which he did not enjoy. Jeongseung kept shouting nonsense about street cred and Chanyoung liked having someone fond over him.

Just for fun, you babied Minhyuk since you are his noona. The rest of the boys joined in to make the boy feel special. Hyunho couldn't hold in his laughter the entire time. Sangchan was acting like an idiot while dancing and Hyunwoo was dancing hard to 'New Face'. He was going to upload the dance cover online. As for Hyunoh, he was going to do a Chungha dance cover and was going over the counts. While you watched all of them, you stayed near Hyunho who enjoyed watching over the members like you. The two of you talked for the longest time and you could feel your worries melting away. It was so sad when you had to go home. Mom picked you up, glad to see a smile on your face. It looks like you'll be going to Soar Entertainment more often then!

"Hey Princess, how was it?" Dad was sitting on the couch as you entered your house.

"Great!" You happily took off your shoes. Running up the stairs, you soon paused when grabbing the rails. Dad noticed and stared up at you, noting the shy smile on your face. "And Appa..."

"Yes?" He innocently blinked at you.

"One." You squealed, running back up to your room. Mom smiled at the news, both parents glad you weren't beating yourself up over the 'zero' anymore.

After that day, you were looking at things on the brighter side. You worked on making things right with your friends. The first thing to do was to respond to their messages. You replied to every single one of them. Most texts filled with apologies and efforts to make things right. Luckily, none of the boys were angry at you. They all needed their own time to sit back and collect themselves. The four of you could continue being friends without any worries. It made you the happiest person in the entire world to hear that. No more issues! You were no longer dreading going to school again. Despite the loss of the competition, you were ready to take on the world.

Life went on as normal. Finals would be coming up soon so you were getting tutored by Namjoon again. Hoseok and Yoongi were added into the mix too. There were some days when you couldn't show up to tutoring. Those days were reserved for being an intern at Soar Entertainment. The only difference between you and the rest was that you were specifically there to help D-Crunch. Anything they needed, you were there for. You mainly liked to help the stylists choose outfits for the boys. They liked the vision you had for the boys and took what you said into consideration. It felt nice to be taken seriously by staff even as an intern.

You kept interning at Soar Entertainment in the summer. The boys never even questioned what you were up to. It was easier to sneak off with D-Crunch than you thought. Of course, as you got to work alongside with D-Crunch, you got closer to them. Each of the nine members began to mean so much more to you. They soon witnessed your motherly side that was different from your playful one. Though there was one boy you still acted like a schoolgirl in front of. It wasn't intentional. It just happened that way. Hyunho and you got to become good friends. The two of you exchanged numbers and text all the time. It's easier to have conversations with him when the both of you write down your thoughts. Hyunho can actually be quite the conversationalist when he messages.

The only thing that sucked was that he probably saw you as a friend. You denied him at the competition after all. He wouldn't think he had another chance and probably got over you. If he's going to be a real kpop idol, he's going to get a bunch of girls. Why settle for you? A crush liked you back and you were too scared to take it. Something real. It was serious and now it's gone. It made you a little sad until Minhyuk sent you a message asking if you were into Hyunho. You were embarrassed but you told him you were. Minhyuk is trustworthy. He was glad to hear it and told you to ask Hyunho out. He was still rooting for the both of you which let you know that Hyunho must have told him.

Either way, that's what you were doing now. A hippo plushie in your hands as you waited for the dance practice to end. There were no bears at the store for some reason! This plushie of a hippo would have to do. At least it was cute. Staring at it, you were lost in your own thoughts. The door slamming open is what got you to almost jump out of your skin. All the boys were sweating as they greeted you and ran to hit the showers. Practice was officially over for them. Biting your lip, you counted all the boys that had left. Seven in total. You peeked inside to see Minhyuk leaving. Hyunho was the last one, sitting on the floor and drinking water.

"Hyunho-a!" You walked inside. Your heart was ramming inside your chest as you crouched down next to him. "Are you exhausted?" Hyunho gave you a tired smile as if to say, '_What do you think?'_. You fidgeted with the hippo. Your arms were behind your back as you stuttered in front of him. "A-Actually Hyunho, I w-was wondering if...um...maybe one day...whenever you're free—"

"Sure." Hyunho agreed. Your eyes widened, not expecting that response.

"But you don't even know what I was going to say!" You frowned.

"Bear." Hyunho pointed towards the mirror. It showed you clearly holding the plushie behind your back Bringing it up to him, you shook your head.

"It's a hippo! See! I'm full of surprises!" You waved it around before handing it to him. The two of you were giggling softly together. "So yeah...a date..."

"I'd like that." Hyunho smiled at the plushie. "I'll call it...Hippo."

And so the date was planned! The two of you were blushing the entire time when you figured out a time and place. The first thing that came to mind was the café Hoseok suggested in the middle of spring break. Last time you were there, you didn't get to properly enjoy it. You wanted to try it again and this time with Hyunho. That sounded like a pleasant date. It was cute and simple. Hyunho didn't mind at all, giving you a hug before you left the company. He was so tall that you felt like you were a tiny bean next to him. Still, you loved the hug for every second it lasted. Mom had to deal with a lot of squealing the ride home that night.

The date was all you could think about. You showed tons of images of Hyunho to your father, informing him of D-Crunch. He remembered them from the contest. He was shocked that you were into one of the rivals. You didn't like considering them rivals anymore though. They were your friends. Then things just managed to take a different turn with Hyunho. For your date with him, you put on a cute dress that you felt comfortable in. You arrived early, hoping to be at the mall first but you spotted Hyunho waiting for you already. He wanted to be their first and laughed when he saw your pout.

"You look cute." He placed his hand on your head. All the air in your puffed up cheeks slipped out as you became embarrassed at the compliment.

"T-Thank you." You looked down at your feet. He chuckled, taking off his face mask.

"So where's that café?" Hyunho looked around. Your head perked up and you excitedly grabbed his wrist. You could lead the way! With a large grin, you tugged Hyunho over to the café. Though you were holding his wrist, Hyunho twisted his arm around to hold your hand. The second you felt his fingers interlocking with yours, you looked back at him with a blush. He had a light blush across his cheeks yet acted like he wasn't worried about a thing.

Coffees were ordered and the two of you took seats in the café. The table was near the entrance in front of a large window. You told Hyunho he could put on his mask anytime he felt like it, but he insisted on keeping it off. Even though there were a few people who stared at him longer than an average glance, he was fine with it. He wasn't extremely famous, but it was something he would have to get used to eventually. The two of you talked for the longest time, sipping your drinks and smiling at each other like middle schoolers on a date.

"What?" You giggled, noting that he had been smiling softly at you for the entire date.

"I'm just glad to have this moment with you. Just the two of us." Hyunho's words made you get all fuzzy inside. This all felt like an amazing dream. One that you didn't want to wake up from. Reaching over the table, you grabbed his hand to play with it before just bringing it to the side of your face. Hyunho stuck his tongue out but played along. You were happy and ready to close your eyes until you heard aggressive swears from a familiar voice.

"What the f*ck is this!?" Yoongi was standing there in shock. You jumped in your seat, letting go of Hyunho's hand. The male shifted in his seat as you saw Hoseok and Namjoon standing with the delinquent. All three of them looked betrayed at the sight.

"Yoongi..." You grew nervous. You couldn't figure out what was wrong. They were okay with you not falling for any of them. Were they not okay with you choosing Hyunho?

"I thought you weren't ready to date." Namjoon frowned.

"Guys, now is not the time." You shook your head at them.

"How did this even happen?" Hoseok took a step towards Hyunho. You got out from your seat, pushing all three of them back.

"Leave us alone!" You huffed. "You boys are acting like idiots right now! Let us enjoy our date."

"We can just leave, (F/n)." Hyunho wanted to avoid causing a scene. People in the café were staring at the five of you. They didn't even keep their glances furtive. They were blatantly staring at the drama. Yoongi scoffed in disbelief as if you committed the biggest crime. He pushed past you to glare at Hyunho.

"I tolerated you for the longest time, but there's no reason you should be dating (F/n)." Yoongi growled. "She deserves f*cking better."

"Min Yoongi!" You hissed. This is not what you wanted from your friends. Hyunho didn't bother to express any emotions on his face. He kept a strong stance and refused to be shoved into a corner by Yoongi.

"We're taking, (F/n)." Hoseok grabbed your wrist.

"The hell you are!" You tried getting him to let you go.

"We have to have a talk with her." Namjoon was passive aggressive, pretending he was being helpful for letting Hyunho know. Hoseok pulled you back, shoving you out the door with Yoongi and Namjoon. Hyunho put on his mask as he followed after.

"Let her go!" Hyunho demanded.

"F*ck off, Pal! This is for friends only!" Yoongi flipped the male off. You continued to move wildly, but Namjoon helped Hoseok with keeping you still. Why are they doing this!? You glanced back at Hyunho who was helplessly looking around. People kept on walking by and he couldn't cause any fights. Not when his career is finally starting. You growled, knowing that you had to handle the boys yourself. The rappers didn't drag you far before you kicked them away from you. They were still acting as if you did something horrible to them.

"Why!?" You screamed at them.

"(F/n)..." Namjoon started. "It's just...we all agreed—"

"Who's 'we'!?" You felt yourself getting teary eyed. Do they even realize how much they hurt you? Acting like what they did was appropriate? They literally insulted Hyunho and believed what they were doing was right. They were disappointing you so much.

"Us three," Yoongi stated.

"Well, guess what? You guys had NO right to do what you just did!" You gritted your teeth. They stiffened to see a tear roll down your cheek. Is that seriously what it takes for them to realize they did something wrong? This could have all ended when you told them to leave you alone in the first place.

"We just want the best—" Hoseok only flinched when you smacked his hand. He tried to put his hand on your shoulder, but you didn't want to be touched. Not by any of them.

"Don't talk to me!!" You turned around, running away from the boys. Yoongi shouted your name desperately. They wanted you to come back to them. That wasn't going to be happening any time soon.

With tear stained cheeks, you went running back into the mall for Hyunho. It didn't take long for you to find his tall figure. Once he saw you, he rushed to you in worry. You clung onto him instantly, crying into his purple shirt. Hyunho wrapped his arms around you, allowing you to bury yourself into him. You never wanted to question your friendship with your friends. Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok were completely fine with you not dating them. They continued to treat you nicely without flirting. Things were looking great and then they suddenly act like this. Creating some kind of pact to decide who you end up with. They went as far as insulting Hyunho to his face. Why hate Hyunho? He's never done anything cruel to them or to you.

Hyunho pet your head before quietly taking you away from the mall. It was best to leave the place for some privacy. You had no idea where he was taking you. All you know was that Hyunho ended up carrying you on his back. He held onto you tightly as you pressed your face into his back. You didn't look at street names or anything like that. It wasn't until Hyunho stopped walking that you finally looked up to see a beaten up and old house. It looked like the front door was close to falling apart. Where were you two? This place didn't feel safe. Clinging tighter onto Hyunho, you stayed onto him like a bear cub.

He knocked on the old garage, waiting for the longest time. You were shocked to see fingers at the bottom of the garage door and grunts from force. The people opening the garage door were doing their best to force it open. Your eyes widened to see the rest of D-Crunch inside the hot and dirty garage. Everything about this house looked like it was going to fall apart. Hyunho walked inside as all his members stared in worry. The only two to come close were Sangchan and Hyunoh.

"Noona, come here." Hyunoh helped you get off and brought you into a sweet embrace. He always gave the best hugs.

"What happened?" Sangchan asked.

"Stuff." Hyunho frowned, not wanting to speak poorly of your friends.

"We're here if you want to talk, Noona!" Chanyoung raised his voice so you could hear. You weakly nodded at the boys.

"I hope you aren't too disgusted by the place..." Hyunwook rubbed the back of his neck.

"Why are you apologizing like this is your house?" Hyunwoo laughed. Sangchan looked offended so you assumed this was his place. Hyunoh slowly released you and let you go to Hyunho.

"Sorry your date didn't end well." Minhyuk sympathized.

"And sorry the AC isn't working." Dylan sighed.

"We have an AC!?" Jeongseung panted, sweating.

"Nope." Sangchan shook his head. Dylan laughed at the fact that Jeongseung fell for it. Those two wrestled which got a giggle to leave your lips. Sweet little kids. Those two stopped to smile back at you. You were a noona to so many of the boys here and they all made it their job to cheer you up. They sat you down with Hyunho as they showed you the dances they were working on despite the heat of the summer.

While you spent time with D-Crunch, the rappers came back to Namjoon's house. All of them were shocked you snapped at them. They just wanted to express their worry and care for you. None of them had bad intentions. Each of them believed they were protecting you from something. Yoongi didn't want you to end up with Hyunho. He wanted anyone, but that guy. There was something about Hyunho that made the delinquent feel inferior. Ever since the rap battle with D-Crunch, Yoongi never got too friendly with Hyunho. Namjoon and Hoseok almost felt the same since they knew you had a crush on that boy for the longest time.

Namjoon believed you could do better. He was the only one of his friends who was still hoping for a chance. He wished you weren't dating anyone at all. If he could just have you single for a little longer. No one else to disturb his fantasies of still making his dream become reality. Then Hoseok grew attached to someone from his past. The two of you have been through so much and shared familiar memories. He wanted to latch onto something safe from the past. Seeing you move on and stepping towards the future didn't make him happy. He felt like you were leaving him behind. Hoseok couldn't quite explain. All the rappers knew was that they still wanted you for themselves even if you were just their friend.

They entered Namjoon's house with sluggish behavior. They felt betrayed and sad that they hurt you. They only wanted you to understand why they acted like that. The three boys were blind to their actions as their gloomy behavior caught the attention of the little zoo. The young ones crowded their hyungs, wanting to know what was wrong. Namjoon and Hoseok were silent until Yoongi revealed that they caught you on a date with Hyunho. Jungkook and Taehyung were stunned. They couldn't believe you never told them while Jimin looked the most frustrated of the zoo.

"I thought Noona loved you, Hyung-nim!" Jungkook frowned.

"I thought I had a chance..." Yoongi grumbled.

"This isn't fair! Noona belongs with you!" Jimin stomped his feet. "I told her not to fall for him!"

"It's really not fair..." Hoseok sighed heavily.

"What are you gonna do?" Taehyung worried.

"I don't know. She's mad at us." Namjoon didn't like remembering your teary eyes. "We're just trying to protect—"

"_Children!_" Seokjin stormed out from the kitchen. He looked furious as he glared at all the boys in the room. The rappers were shocked to see Seokjin was here. They tensed up as Seokjin scolded all of them for their thoughts. "None of you own Cha (F/n)! What is wrong with you boys?! Seriously, if (F/n) wants to date this Hyunho guy then let her! He doesn't seem like a bad guy and even if they don't last, who cares!? Let her date and experience love!"

"...but—"

"No! (F/n) told you idiot rappers that she wasn't interested in dating you guys! She honestly dodged a bullet!" Seokjin huffed, leaving all the boys speechless. "She trusted you guys to respect her feelings! Listen, when Jinyo asked me out, I was shocked! I'm still friends with him though and he respects that I'm not interested! Why? BECAUSE WE'RE ADULTS." Seokjin barked as he turned to Yoongi who was opening his mouth. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. YOU F*CKING IDIOTS ARE GOING TO APOLOGIZE."

"Samchon..." Jungkook never heard his uncle swear. The maknae looked like he was going to faint.

Seokjin forced all the boys into his car. He didn't want to hear them whining about the heat or not knowing what to say to you. They were just going to have to suck it up. Seokjin ordered his nephew to text Dylan and find out where they were. Jungkook obediently listened, finding out that D-Crunch were on their way to Soar Entertainment. A place with a working air conditioner. Seokjin didn't know why Jungkook read that part out loud but took it anyway. While BTS were on there way to Soar Entertainment, D-Crunch was barely arriving with you by their side. You were feeling better already. Their cheerful energy easily rubbing off on you.

The ten of you entered the lobby of Soar Entertainment. As soon as you all entered, sighs of relief left everyone's lips. The air was nice and cool inside. None of them wanted to walk anymore. They crashed in the lobby, enjoying the fact that they weren't sweating anymore. You were a fan of the air conditioner too. Hyunho and you were standing under an air vent, getting most of the good stuff. You watched the rest of the boys before your eyes landed on Dylan. He was texting someone nonstop, his attention glued to his phone. It almost made you want to giggle.

"Who are you texting, Dylan?" You asked.

"My best friend," Dylan murmured shyly.

"I don't see anything!" Jeongseung scoffed, holding up his phone.

"Not you!" Dylan stomped his foot. Chanyoung was about to reach for his phone but stopped to see Dylan shaking his head. "It's no one from D-Crunch...we should just stay here though. In the lobby."

"Why?" Hyunwook raised a brow. "I think we should get going to our practice room."

"That's right! Up and at 'em!" Sangchan clapped his hands.

"No!" Dylan shook his head. His members were baffled by his persistence. Why did he want to stay in the lobby so badly? The entire building was air conditioned. The cold air wasn't going to leave you guys. Dylan was about to get questioned until he began to do aegyo. He begged for his hyungs and noona to just stay here a little longer. You bit your lip, trying not to melt while the rest of his members were convinced. "Pwease? Fow wittle me?" Dylan did his best to keep it up, pouting heavily as he pressed his index finger into his cheek.

"It appears we have no choice!" Sangchan motioned for everyone to sit down. "Get comfortable everybody! We're staying at the lobby for a little longer."

Dylan cheered and no one could get too mad at his request. It seemed innocent enough. You were fine with staying at the lobby. That was until you heard a familiar voice shouting outside of the company doors. Furrowing your brows, you got up to see Seokjin screeching. He was making the rest of BTS feel ashamed. If they weren't questioning their existence then Seokjin wasn't trying hard enough. You took a step back, uncomfortable to be in the same room as the rappers just yet. The members of D-Crunch went to check it out and were shocked. BTS were coming? They quickly noticed Jungkook with a phone in his hands. They all turned their heads, narrowing their eyes on Dylan who was whistling to himself.

"You're lucky I'm not your math teacher anymore!" Seokjin held open the door. The six boys walked inside with their heads held down. Seokjin glared at each of them while the D-Crunch looked at you awkwardly. They were about to move in front of you until all six of them bowed down.

"What's this?" Hyunho spoke.

"Namjoon, explain." Seokjin snapped his fingers.

"We wanted to make it right." Namjoon lowered his head further.

"Why? Yoongi," Seokjin ordered.

"We don't own you, (F/n). You have the right to choose whoever you want and we had no right to be rude to you or Hyunho." Yoongi sighed.

"Hoseok." Seokjin tapped the boy to add on.

"We're so sorry to the both of you. We promise that we don't want to have things end like this," Hoseok said. "We want to stay friends with you, (F/n). We'd also like to make amends with D-Crunch and add them to the family."

"Please don't hate our hyungs forever." Taehyung lifted his head. "We're really sorry."

"Samchon yelled at us a lot." Jungkook nodded.

"Can we all be friends?" Jimin lifted his body, holding out his hand towards D-Crunch. The rest of BTS lifted up their bodies with hope in their eyes. You stared at all of them, noting the genuine regret in their eyes. Even in the little zoo. What did they do to be yelled at by Seokjin too? Your eyes traveled over to Seokjin who gave you a small smile. You nodded as Hyunho took Jimin's hand, shaking it. The vocals easily got friendly with the rest of D-Crunch while your rappers awkwardly stood behind. With pursed lips, you walked over to them. They were all clearly ashamed of themselves. Seokjin must have really let them have it.

"I guess I'll go first." Yoongi walked up to you, closing his eyes. You were confused until you realized he was waiting for his ear to get tugged. You laughed, tugging on it to hear him hiss. Namjoon and Hoseok closed their eyes as you tugged on theirs at the same time. They groaned in pain while you shook your head at them.

"When will we learn?" Namjoon rubbed his ear.

"I think we finally did." Hoseok sighed.

"I hope so." You crossed your arms. They became quiet as you eyed them. "Thank you for the apology...I know that if you guys give Hyunho a chance and get to know him, you'll really like him." You smiled at the rappers. They slowly smiled back before Hyunho showed up behind you. They apologized again before starting up a conversation. Perfect. You smiled, glad to see your favorite boys actually treating each other nicely.

*~*

It's been years now. A lot has happened since the boys have discovered you dating Hyunho. D-Crunch has rose to fame and was easily one of the most popular boy groups. They were growing every single day as artists. As for the members of BTS, they all had a lot going on in their lives. The rappers were given the opportunity to join a company as producers. Their schooling would be paid for and the growing zoo were trainees at the same company. Those three already making friends with many artists but Jungkook preferred having Dylan as his best friend though. Seokjin was still teaching at Sehwang Academy and actually became the face for the school. Not every teacher gets to go on variety shows to promote their school just because of their looks. It's a good thing Seokjin is passionate about teaching and takes his chances.

Then the fanboys were doing well too. Jaegyu was finally in a long term relationship for the first time in his life. You think this girl is the one. Then Junsuh is married to Ms. Jeon now. Jungkook was uncomfortable at first but has accepted Junsuh into the family. He even calls Junsuh by 'Appa' at times. Jungkook also has a younger sister too who is his half sibling. An adorable girl who Jungkook takes care of and dotes on. Jinyo was also successful in life too. He quit his old factory job and bought Midnight Measure. He owns the place he loves so much. It's like he never gets to leave his dreams anymore.

Your own life took an interesting turn. Instead of becoming a manager, you became a stylist for D-Crunch. After all these years, you're Soar staff and you call the shots on what the boys wear. It was always a fun task you enjoyed. That was just your work life though. For your love life, you were happily dating Hyunho. There was so much news coverage when the two of you finally decided to become public about the relationship. You're just glad that fans were accepting of it. That was one less struggle to go through. Mom and Dad were so happy for you. Mom knew Hyunho would take care of you and Dad was fascinated by Hyunho's height. You're glad they like him.

"Ready to kill it on stage?" You smiled at Hyunho. You adjusted the tie he was wearing. All the members were dressed in suits, making them look so handsome.

"Always." Hyunho pecked your lips.

"Of course." You grinned, bringing your lips to his again. You were on your toes as Hyunho bent down slightly. His lips moved smoothly against yours as you felt yourself get needy. Opening your mouth in the kiss, you heard a squeak. You pulled away to see your shy father sitting on a couch. You almost forgot you brought him here with you. Hyunho chuckled with embarrassment, bowing at your father. "Hi Appa!"

"Princess..." Dad looked worn out.

"Sorry, Sir." Hyunho rubbed the back of his neck. Dad looked weak but had to accept it.

"We're finally called onto the stage. Let's go!" Sangchan hollered. He clapped his hands as all the boys rushed out the door. Hyunho gave you one last kiss on the head before running out.

Sitting down next to your Dad, you excitedly watched the screen inside the dressing room. Dad has been waiting for hours just to see one performance from D-Crunch. Unfortunately, showing up to music shows took a lot of time. It was worth it though as you saw a handsome Hyunho on stage, rapping his part of the song. The camera then panned over to a certain group of fanboys. Jungkook decked out in Dylan merch, Jimin with a fan of Hyunoh and Chanyoung, Taehyung supporting Jeongseung, Hoseok with a banner for Hyunwoo, Namjoon with a Sangchan pin, Yoongi with Minhyuk and Hyunho merch, and Seokjin who carried a picture of Hyunwook. You laughed as your Dad pointed excitedly at those seven men. It wasn't long before their performance finished.

"Wow...so this is what you do for work?" Dad looked around. "Dress them up and wait for centuries?"

"There's more to it than that, but sure." You laughed. Dad grinned as he swung his legs back and forth. You quiet down, a warm smile on your face. "Hey Appa. Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah, why?" Dad blinked at you. There's no way he can. He's definitely going to tell Mom. That's okay though. Opening up your purse, you lifted up a black velvet box. Dad's eyes widened.

"He's the one, Appa." You stuffed it in your jacket as you stood up. The door opened wide as the boys excitedly ran in. "Wish me luck." You winked as you faced Hyunho. "Hey, can I talk to you outside for a second?"

"Sure. I hope you liked the performance, Mr. Cha!" Hyunho was panting lightly as he followed you out the door. Dad smiled to himself, proud of his daughter for taking charge of her life and making sure she got her own happy ending at her pace. His little one is doing well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Okay, so this ending was not planned. It's just something that some people were showing interest in as the story was coming to an end. People mainly wanted to see jealous reactions from the rappers so I put that drama in. Originally, I told people the grumpy mood from the rappers would last for a month but I quickened it up here. I hope you guys found this ending interesting. Hyunho has a very calm personality and doesn't speak much. He's still sweet though. I think he can be very charming, but of course, y'all read this story for BTS's rapline and not for Hyunho who a majority of you didn't even know existed. I also just wanted to point out that in the chapter where Hyunho comforted Reader at Midnight Measure, he never touched her first or gave her unwanted advances. He also never spoke poorly of BTS and encouraged her to keep her friendship with the boys. So he's a good guy! I hope you liked D-Crunch, Hyunho, and this ending. I actually kind of like this ending with the lessons it went through. Just because they're guys, doesn't mean you gotta fall for them. You don't have to date and you can do things at your own pace. Make your own happy ending, Sis. Take care! A Passion Beyond Labels is officially done!)


End file.
